Chronicle of Hope
by Fantasy-Magician
Summary: Different choice was made by the end of 1st adventure by Takeru, staying in digital world by himself was a turning point. Pulling out entangled mess of Digital world bloody history from under the rug was another. How much it would alter their 2nd adventure? Will Takeru ever reveal the truth to his friends? This is the chronicle of the child of hope.
1. Prologue: Decision

**I am keeping this thought of what IF often =_+ this one will be slow as I am into other fandom now but I still LOVE Digimon very much!**

OH yes... Digimon is not mine :P

**

* * *

Chronicle of Hope**

Takeru was gazing at the blue sky, he had cried his eyes out with Patamon till it hurt. He was sure only him crying like this when saying goodbye to their digimon partner. He went through so much in digital world and he loved every second of it at least since he knew purpose they had as Digidestined in this world. He loved the nature which always magical and mysterious, he loved the feeling of soaring the sky with Angemon.

He looked down at his tiny hands and Patamon who was sleeping on his lap, wondering if his hands had grew bigger since he came to Digital world. His eyes went to Patamon's tiny paw, amazed such a cute paw could become Angemon's big and strong hands. A cute digimon like Patamon could evolve to gallant Angemon, the best digimon he could ever hope.

"TK…" Patamon mumbled on his sleep, tears pooled on the corner of his eyes. "Please don't go…"

He didn't want to either; Takeru loved Patamon and digital world he had fought for with his life. But he had his own life in real world, his brother, mother, father… a family…

Family?

Even if he come back to real world all he would have with him was his mother, no Yamato, no father. They lived apart from him, how he wanted them together again so badly. Tears began to pool on his eyes again, startling him that he still had some tears left. The tears fell on Patamon's eyelid awaken him in the process.

"Takeru?" Patamon called as looked up, "You are crying again?" He asked. "Don't cry… stay strong Takeru…" He muttered softly.

Takeru nodded, "I will…"

He wanted to be strong, if only he was as strong as his brother of Taichi… Maybe Patamon could digivolve faster, and maybe… Angemon wouldn't sacrifice himself to defeat Devimon, and maybe… there was so many possibilities he thought of if only he was strong.

Takeru was not arrogant but he was well aware of his power, his digimon was strong… especially against dark digimon they fought in the past. Only his and Hikari's digimon had advantage in battling dark digimon, but unlike him… Hikari was strong, even without her digimon, even when she was sick Hikari could help them with her power. And him? Takeru had to rely on Patamon again and again, he was childish and unreliable compared to Hikari.

Even though he had grew so much since he arrived in Digital world… His eyes widened in realization, if only he… digital world… maybe…

"Takeru?" Patamon called worriedly.

* * *

Time of Departure

"Let's hop on everyone!" Taichi cheered even though he sounded nowhere as energetic as usual.

Mimi was still crying because she couldn't find Palmon anywhere, they had not said their goodbye to each other. Takeru felt his legs heavier than ever as he stepped on the electric train. They opened the window, hoping to see their digimon till the last moment they had in digital world. Mimi didn't dare to look outside since her digimon was nowhere insight; there was no point so she kept crying.

Takeru looked at her sympathetically, he wondered what he would do if Patamon decided to do what Palmon did. He was sure Tailmon would scan the forest in search of her counterpart and dragged Patamon by his ear. Takeru was sure Patamon would be alright as long as Tailmon and Gabumon was around him. Tailmon was his closest friend and Gabumon was like his older brother, Patamon would be fine without him.

But… did he really ready to part with Patamon? With Digital world?

He didn't know where it came from but he kept imagining things on the trip back to the lake, he kept imagining what if Digital world was invaded by power of darkness again, and this twisted feeling of his kept bothering him. Takeru looked at Taichi, hoping he was as brave as him, then at his brother with hope for being as caring as Yamato was for his friends, Patamon… Then to the youngest of his group, if only he had special power like Hikari… maybe he could do more in their battle against evil…

But…

"Mimi look!" Sora called.

"MIMI!"

He snapped out of his thought when he heard Palmon's yelling, and Mimi quickly looked outside. She was delighted to see Palmon running as waving her hands, "I am sorry Mimi! Mimi!" She yelled as loud as she could.

Mimi nodded, "It's okay!" She yelled back.

Takeru sighed in relief, in the end Palmon managed to gather her courage to face Mimi. He wondered if he could do the same… to take…

"Mimi! Goodbye!" She yelled.

Palmon suddenly tripped and Mimi yelped, Takeru was startled when Mimi's hat suddenly flew away to the sky. He looked at the hat which spinning quite fast before their very eyes then flew away by violent wind. Takeru suddenly overcame by envy, looking at blue sky it was gone to.

Yamato looked away when he spotted Takeru walking to another corner of the train. "Takeru? Where are you going? It's the last time we could…" He trailed off.

Hikari looked at his friend, "Takeru-kun?"

Takeru smiled at his friends as he opened one of the windows, "I am sorry Nii-chan! Hikari-chan! But I want to be strong to protect everyone and digital world! So…" He grinned, "Niichan! Tell mother and father that I love them so much!"He paused, "I will see you again someday Nii-chan, everyone!" He said softly before jumped out of the window.

Yamato's eyes widened as he ran as fast as he could, his hands stretched out to reach his brother. "Takeru!"

Patamon and other digimon was startled when they saw Takeru fell from the flying train, and Patamon as if he could do something with his tiny body flew to where Takeru would fall. "Takeru!"

SPLASH

Takeru surfaced few moments later with a big grin painted on his face, then waved to the flying train. "Good bye everyone! I promise will see you guys again someday and I will be stronger!" He yelled as loud as he could.

* * *

Yamato looked around in panic before one of his legs stepped on the window frame, but Taichi held him back firmly. "Are you crazy Yamato?" He asked incredulously, "We already too high to jump!" He warned Yamato.

But Yamato kept struggling against Taichi's hold, yelling at Taichi to let him go. "Even if you fell to the lake, your bone will shatter like a cheap wine decanter at this height!" Koushiro reasoned. "Do you want to show your corpse floating to Takeru down there?" He asked incredulously.

"But my brother!" Yamato cried helplessly. "TAKERU!"

Taichi was torn from saving Yamato from a suicide and his feeling as fellow older brother, he was sure he would try to jump too if he was in Yamato's position. "Yamato… please calm down!"

"Calm down?" he asked incredulously, "HOW to be calm if you are in my position?" Yamato roared angrily.

"And I am sure you will say the same thing to me! Please calm down!" Taichi yelled back. "And will you let me kill myself if you are in my position?"

Yamato was taken back and could not answer Taichi, because he knew the answer.

Hikari looked down; even from afar she could see Takeru was smiling at them. She wondered why Takeru did this; it must be not just because he didn't want to be separated from Patamon. Takeru cared for Yamato so much, he won't hurt his brother just for his own selfishness. "Takeru…" She muttered softly then looked at Yamato, "Yamato-san… I think Takeru stay because he care about you… and all of us, please understand… Takeru won't be happy to see you like this." She muttered, "This is his decision…"

Yamato looked down, deep in his heart he was still thought of Takeru as little brother he couldn't leave on his own and it pained him a little when he saw Takeru became so independent. He was well aware Takeru was strong enough to take a decision, and as a brother… "Yes…" He muttered in strangled voice, "I am understand…" Then he looked down at his brother, smiling at him with Patamon on his head. "Takeru… I will see you again brother, till then… farewell…" And with that the train disappeared in the dark side of the sun.

* * *

Gennai was shaking his head, "What are you thinking bearer of hope?" He asked incredulously, "Why you want to stay here, you are human and not mean to be here!"

Takeru huffed, "Gennai… but I am one of humans you called to save this world! I have right to be here! I know it's selfish for deciding this on my own but… I did this to be stronger to protect everyone!"

"From what?" Gennai asked curiously, wondering what Takeru was talking about.

The bearer of hope became silent, "I don't know… but I just feel… there would be something." He muttered absentmindedly, "I just feel… everything is not ended yet…"

All digimons stared at him, and Genai looked down tiredly. "It seems you have a good intuition, as expected from bearer of hope… really." He muttered, "I won't lie you Takeru, it's true… one day evil power will raise once again in digital world."

Agumon growled, "And why you didn't say anything?"

"I want your partner to enjoy this temporary period of peace in their world!" Gennai said sadly, "That's is the least I could do for everything they have done for us! I want them to at least…"

"Genai…" Takeru called, "I am understand, but I want to stay! I need to be here because I want to be prepared for that day! So I can protect my friends!" He exclaimed with determined face. "I will be stronger and I promise that to all of my friends!"

Genai smiled sadly, wondering why it have to be the youngest who shoulder such a heavy burden. "Well… you have no idea how much that mean to me and digital world, oh bearer of hope…"

"Takeru…" PAtamon muttered, "You know? I am so proud of you!"

Takeru grinned as all digimons and Genai smiled at him, "Thank you everyone!"

* * *

Few months later

Takeru groaned as he fell on his butt for the umpteenth time this morning and his staff fell with clanking sound to the wooden floor. Takeru looked up with sweaty face at Angemon who was pointing his golden staff at Takeru, "Takeru… stand up." He ordered sternly.

The bearer of hope stood up shakily then picked up his staff, he had asked Angemon to teach him martial arts, which all Angemon knew was how to use staff and sword. Other digimons at first thought it was not a good idea because Patamon was too gentle to Takeru most of the time, but much to their amazement Angemon was nothing like Patamon, he was a very strict instructor for Takeru. And since then they had spend hours everyday in Gennai's house who happened to have a big hall, and they were using it everyday as training place.

"Yes Angemon!" Takeru saluted as he formed basic battle stance he learned from Angemon.

Angemon nodded, "Now… try to hit me again Takeru."

Takeru was not hesitate to attack because so far he couldn't to touch Angemon at all, and he knew even if he could hit ANgemon. It would feel nothing much for his digimon. And to be honest he was glad to see this strict side of Angemon because it won't do him any good if Angemon was being soft to him. He wanted to be stronger to protect his friends and then one day he could return to them proudly as a new Takaishi Takeru.

Gennai smiled as he was watching their spar, and he was sure Azulongmon would be happy to see bearer of hope wanted to be stronger to protect what he held dear. And this meant their hope for new tomorrow; a better one would be stronger than ever…

* * *

Other digimon partners who were watching them sparing except Tailmon flinched when Takeru once again fell and this time face first. "Well, that must be hurt." Tailmon commented dryly.

Gabumon had weird feeling on his stomach when he saw Takeru was trained harshly by Angemon. But much to his shock when he tried to convince ANgemon to tune it down, Angemon shot his argument down with mentioning that as much as they wanted it, digimon can't be with their partner all the time and their enemy was never the merciful one toward digidestined. He hated it but Angemon was right, "Takeru…" He whimpered.

"Takeru…" Angemon called, "Stand up."

Agumon groaned, "Oh well… how many times he said that today?"

Gomamon rolled his eyes, "Since this morning? I gave up counting how many times Takeru fell and Angemon ordered him to stand up again and again… since three days ago." He pointed out tiredly, "But I am sure… more than twenty…"

Tailmon shrugged, "It's nothing… Takeru is tougher than that, and Angemon know Takeru's limit so there is nothing to worry about." She pointed out loftily.

"Are you sure?" Gabumon asked worriedly.

Tailmon nodded, "I am Angemon's partner… I know how he is in battle, he is very careful and rely on his skill more than power, which is why he can fight in even ground with digimon above his level." Tailmon pointed out with a smile, "You don't have to worry too much, don't be such a worrywart Gabumon… it's Takeru we are talking about, bearer of hope and Yamato's brother remember?"

Gabumon and other digimons smiled at that, "Well… I know, and I am glad to hear that Tailmon. Thanks!"

"You are welcome…" Tailmon replied with a smile.

"AWW!" Takeru yelped in pain because once again landed on the floor painfully on his butt.

"Takeru…"Angemon began. "One more time! Stand up!"

Gomamon rolled his eyes, "Here we go again…"

* * *

Review please!

**THX to X-ros Digimon I have a lot of nice idea ^^ I think this season is quite nice though, in the other hand it feels like Digimon's creator begin to get desperate as they throw many things we would love to happen, there are many digimon from previous season appear and they give us an official digimon pairing too! Which from different species... Lilamon and Stingmon of all things! XDDD They are so CUTE!**

**BTW is it me or this newest season is like mix of many anime? It's Detective COnan X Pokemon X Power Ranger X Naruto for me since Taiki have Kudo as surname, have a rival who is good at Kendo (Heiji Hatori ,and he is dark skinned too) He collected many digimon as if it's like... shout out to Pokemon, many ninja digimon... and Power ranger... robots... it's like CAP CAY to me~ BTW... I mean so many mix like CAP CAY (Ten kinds of vegetables stir fried... XD)  
**


	2. Chapter 1: Beginning of Hope

**I did not expect it to be this fast for new chap, but a Daikari's profile inspire me~ **

**HOW?**

**No, this chap is not dedicated to mock anyone~ I don't like doing such thing anyway.**

**If anyone interested to beta-ed this fic, feel free to contact me ^^**

**Update on 06-01-13: Fixing timeline since I accidentally forgot two MAJOR events, stupid me!  
-Digimon movie (Our war) said to be happen around 1999-2000 after their departure back to real world. Takeru hold a role in this in my story. Due to many factors I am forced to alter the timeline to suit my needs. The day they left DW in first adventure 'probably' 4th August, according to calculation they made of 'what if' they spent the rest of their summer holiday in DW. Japan's summer holiday ended in 31st August.  
**

**-May 2000 is when they gave up their crest to revive sovereign according to wiki, but because of my story need to drag the timeline a little bit I will put it on July 2000.  
**

* * *

******(¯ˆ·.¸****Chapter 1: Beginning of Hope**¸.·ˆ¯)  


**August 4th, 1999  
**

Takeru collapsed to the wooden floor, soaking it with his sweat. He was panting heavily after a training session with his digimon partner, and just like days before Angemon was as strict as ever. Takeru to be honest felt so content after training, which drained his energy dry, it was a proof he had done his best. Takeru turned around, looking at the plain ceiling as his blue eyes narrowed. Ears perked up at vibration and sound of familiar footstep that as light as feather, a proof of experienced stealthy warrior. Takeru looked to the side, grinning widely. "Hey Tailmon, dinner time?" He asked hopefully.

Tailmon giggled softly then turned her attention to Angemon who was just few feet away from Takeru, "Look what you have done, now he is just like us… so eager for some food."

Angemon shrugged, "Takeru should be hungry after all of that workout. Anyone would be…" He trailed off as dedigivolved to Patamon, "Hungry… and me too." He admitted sheepishly.

"Hee…" Tailmon snickered, "Then I must be angel of salvation for you by now for telling you that dinner is ready." That was all Takeru needed to stand up then sprinted pass Tailmon, running to dining room, which for Takeru by that time was the most heavenly place to quiet worms on his stomach down. Tailmon and Patamon stared at trail of dust Takeru left, "What did I say about him become just like us?" Tailmon asked again.

"Err…" Patamon laughed sheepishly, "Maybe I should tune it down a bit, the training maybe it is really too harsh for Takeru like Gabumon said."

The cat digimon scoffed, "Oh please… take your own advice, you said no pain no gain to Takeru."

"I said that?" He asked in disbelief.

Tailmon shook her head, sighing tiredly. Here goes again Patamon's quirk when it came to his memory as Angemon, Tailmon didn't understand why but Patamon sometimes felt his memory as Angemon or HolyAngemon was like a dream. At first Patamon himself did not aware but as time went by he noticed it then asked to Tailmon if she feel the same. After all Tailmon was also an angel digimon, so he thought Tailmon was the best digimon to ask. Off course Tailmon was so surprised and outright telling Patamon it wasn't normal. It seemed nothing big though, and not concerned him too much.

Much to her annoyance Patamon asked her to keep quiet about it, "Now… whatever is wrong with your head, Takeru should know… you have to tell him Patamon, sooner or later."

"I know…" He admitted, "But not now because I think Takeru have a lot on his mind and also…"

GROWL~

Patamon blushed deep red, "Get it?"

Tailmon nodded sagely, "Uh huh…"

* * *

**Takeru's journal**

_August 17th, 1999  
_

_Today as usual Angemon was a great teacher! And off course as usual I got a very harsh training that lasted for hours; I felt a little sore especially on my hands and butt. It also felt nice in the same time though. It must be what people called satisfaction after working out a good sweat, err… or maybe not. _

_Today Gomamon have an idea to make Angemon laugh, somehow Gomamon think Angemon is lacking sense of humor or something. I laughed so hard when Gomamon pointed out why nobody noticed the hilarity of where VenomVamdemon kept his real form, and made a dirty joke about Wargreymon kicked his ball with another ball. Gomamon had a run for his life though, because Angemon disliked his joke and because Gomamon said it when I was around. I am still wondering how Gomamon could feel Angemon was glaring murderously at him? Since Angemon is wearing a helmet, but Gomamon could feel it somehow. Digi-sixth sense maybe? _

_That's for today since I am too sleepy to write more… _

_I hope nii-san, mama, papa, Hikari-chan, Taichi-san, and everyone are fine in real world. I will never stop to hope for everyone's happiness because that's what I should do! _

Takeru yawned as he closed his precious journal; he had wanted to write their adventure for a while so he asked Gennai for a book. Takeru was so happy when Gennai gave him a very beautiful book, it was like thick old book that used by wizard in fantasy story. Yamato loved to read him story but one he usually read to Takeru was not fairy tale of princess or usual children story but tales of gallant knight in medieval era. But it was not the hero Takeru liked the most, for him the most fascinating character was the wizard. Figure with unfathomable wisdom and power, who would lend a hand to the hero, guiding them to victory. Takeru thought what Angemon did when they fought VenomVamdemon was like that, giving power to Garurumon and his brother to create miracle. He hoped you could be like wizard from story his brother read him, so he could create miracle for those around him.

Takeru looked down tracing the carving on the cover, the book's front cover was made of wood with pleasant scent, on the border carved digital alphabet. But what caught Takeru's eyes the most was carving of beautiful wings, which sprout from stone that etched on the center of the cover. Gennai told him that the stone on his journal was lapis lazuli, it was not a very precious stone but semi-precious one. It had intense blue that looked like night sky with silver and golden lines on the surface. Lapis Lazuli in ancient time was also called the fallen fragment of night sky, which can be associated with Tekeru's crest symbol, the shooting star.

Takeru hugged his precious journal tightly then went to bed where Patamon had fell asleep soundly. He put his journal on the bed side then snuggled closely to Patamon, "Good night Patamon…"

* * *

Real World

They were on the way back from school, holding umbrella for Taichi since the brown haired boy forget his. And it was raining heavily, as if cloud was crying its eyes out. Yamato was listening to Taichi's rant about how great last night soccer game was, though Yamato could hardly understand since he wasn't watching TV last night. "Yeah yeah… so sadly it's a tie Taichi?" That rhymed!

Taichi raised an eyebrow, "Oh please Yamato! Can you please sounds a little lively here? It's soccer! The greatest game on earth!"

The blond boy rolled his eyes, "Yeah, it's great."

His best friend sighed wearily, "Oh… why all girls could get fooled by this emo-prince?" He wondered out loud mockingly. "Say Yamato, would you like going to game center tomorrow?" He asked hopefully.

"No… I don't like playing games."

Taichi groaned, "Oh please… you love your guitar and harmonica more than me?" He asked whiningly.

Yamato backed away in which made Taichi came closer because he didn't want to get wet. "You… say that again you will go home wet!"

"It's just a joke! Geeze!"

* * *

Ishida's residence

"Tadaima…" Yamato said as put his umbrella on the basket.

Takaishi Natsumi or rather the woman who once again become Ishida Natsumi welcomed his eldest son with a warm hug. "Okaerinasai… Yamato-kun."

"Kaa-san…" Yamato smiled at his mother, "I though no one at home today?"

Natsumi smiled at Yamato, "Ara ara… my dear boy, I can't possibly lock myself in office is such a special day! And you father would come back soon too!"

Yamato sniffed the air, wondering where the delicious smell come from. "It smells good! What day is today?"

She kissed his cheek lovingly, "Oh my… it's your birthday party my dear! I have cooked your favorite foods today!" She said as led the dazed boy to the dining room where various foods were decorated nicely on the table. "We have stew, sandwich, French fries, fried chicken, fruit salad, coleslaw and the desert… coffe pudding!"

The bearer of friendship gaped at the sight, his eyes became watery when he recalled his lonely birthday last year. This was the first birthday he had with his family in four years, but… Takeru was not here. "Mother… thank you."

Natsumi shook her head, "Yamato… it's nothing, we should do better for you my dear." She assured her son lovingly, "You after all the one who made us realize our mistakes." She muttered softly as ruffled his blond hair fondly, "You told us how much we have pained you and Takeru because of our selfishness."

Yamato let his tear fell down his cheeks, he looked down as recalled what happened after they came back from digital world few months ago.

_Flash back_

_As expected his mother was crying hysterically at him when she knew her youngest son was not there with them. Natsumi as a mother can't help but became hysteric when she knew her beloved son was in another world alone, a world where only digital monsters lived there. Not even his brother Yamato was there to take care of him. Hiroaki tried to calm her down but she snap at him. She yelled at him for being so heartless because he could stay calm in such situation when who knows what happened to Takeru in Digital world. _

_Hiroaki even though knowing Natsume was not herself that time couldn't stand for being accused for not caring what happened to their Takeru. He yelled back at her that Takeru won't come back to real world because he was sick of her. Off course in no time Yamato snapped at his parents, yelling at them to stop their foolish argument. _

_Natsumi then asked Yamato why Takeru decided to stay back in Digital world, did Takery love his family no more? That made Yamato's blood boiling in anger as all pain he had buried all this years surfaced. He yelled at his parent that there was no family they could speak of that was waiting for Takeru in real world. What kind of family living separately? Yamato cried as hard as he could that day, telling that how jealous he and Takeru were when their friends yearning to get home for their family, in which he and Takeru had none. That he and Takeru would be separated once they return. Yamato then stated that if he knew this was how they welcomed him, if he could he would go back to digital world to stay with Takeru and his digimon, and he would never return to real worldever again._

_At that Hiroaki and Natsumi hugged the boy as tight as they could, afraid their eldest son would go to another world like their youngest was. They begged him to stay, promising him that they would not repeat the same mistake. And a month after Yamato's return Hiroaki and Natsumi remarried. Natsumi's father in France was glad to know his daughter had reunited with her family but deeply saddened when he heard Takeru was not with them. For Takeru's sake his family arranged that Takeru would continue his education in France and living with his grandfather so there would be no problem for Takeru to continue his education once he come back. And his family would forever wait for their youngest boy to complete their family._

* * *

Present

Yamato blushed deep red at the sight of birthday cake, he was not fond of singing and blowing candle anymore, It was so kiddy! And when his mother opened their door he didn't know if he had to happy or doomed, one by one his digidestined friends popped up with birthday present on their hands.

"HAPPY BIRTHDAY YAMATO!"

His choice was easy, he can't be more happy when he saw his friends. And he hoped Takeru could see what a warm welcome they would give him someday. "Thank you… everyone."

* * *

**October 3rd, 1999**

Takeru was wearing a new hat with symbol of hope on it, it also had zip on the left side. He wore gray jacket and green turtleneck shirt underneath on his waist clasped two belt, which had pocket where he put his digivice and other small tools. Short pants in green color and the same shoes he wore since he arrived in Digital world. Gabumon was miserably failed to not crying in front of Takeru, when it had taken all of other digimon's pleading and advice that he shouldn't cry no matter what… it didn't go well. Gabumon's tears were falling like waterfall and his body was trembling like a newborn kitten.

Takeru looked at him sheepishly, "Gabumon, please don't cry like that… it's not like I will go forever." He assured Yamato's digimon gently.

All paws, claw, wing or whatever kind of hand other digimons had was slapped to their head; Gomamon was the first one who groaned followed by Tailmon. "Oh after all that talk to let Takeru go…" Gomamon groaned again.

His crimson eyes looked up to Takeru's then to Patamon's, their twin blue orbs seemed troubled by Gabumon's behavior. "But… but… because Yamato is not here…" He stammered with shaky voice, "I thought… I thought… as his partner I should take care of you in his place!" He sobbed sadly.

Takeru somehow could imagine Yamato in Gabumon's place, but quickly shook that image as that's simply so rude of him to think his beloved brother in that way. "I am understand Gabumon but you see… We can't stay in Gennai's place forever. You and other digimon too… would prefer to stay in the wild with your friends ne?"

All of them nodded in agreement, but Gabumon sobbed louder. "I know but… can you please at least… take me with you?" He pleaded.

"Gabumon… I know it sounds really mean of me but no, I can't bring you in this journey." He stated sternly, Gabumon's eyes were wavered in tears. "It's… my very own journey so it would be only me." He pointed at his chest then to Patamon on his head, "And Patamon."

Gabumon sobbed again, "But… but… what if…"

"You think I can't protect Takeru?" Patamon asked, his tone sounded hurt. "How mean…" He whined jokingly.

He shook his head violently, and then turned away from Takeru and Patamon. "It's not it Patamon…" He began as looked up to the sky, "It's just I think of you like my brother, you and Patamon…" He muttered softly, "And just like Yamato, as a big brother I should protect both of you…"

Tailmon and other digimon rolled their eyes; here goes Gabumon and his long speech of brotherhood and friendship. It seemed Yamato's melancholy tendencies rubbed off on Gabumon a bit too much, "Patamon, Takeru…" Tailmon whispered, "You better go now when Gabumon is still off to his own little world."

"But…" Takeru muttered.

Tailmon pushed them away, "It would be fine…" She muttered as continued to shove the hope bearer away, and other digimons waved their goodbye.

* * *

30 minutes later…

"So at the very least I should…" He turned back, only to find no one but Gomamon who was sleeping soundly. "WHERE IS TAKERU AND PATAMON?" He squeaked.

Gomamon yawned then opened one eye, "Ah… you finished Gabu? If Gabu want to know where Keru and Pata are… they went somewhere… who knows…" Then he began to snore and fell back to his sleep, snoring as loud as he could.

Even from miles away all digimons could hear terrified cry of certain bearer of friendship. And off course Tailmon and Patamon who had good hearing was the first one who picked up the cry, "Ugh… it seems he has just noticed we were gone." Patamon muttered worriedly, "I feel really bad for Gabumon."

Tailmon scoffed, "Oh please Patamon, if you listen to Gabumon you would never get anywhere." She stated sternly.

Takeru looked at direction they came from, "I am sorry Gabumon, I promise I will be back in few months." He muttered softly.

"Now… where do you want to go by the way?" Tailmon asked curiously.

He grinned sheepishly, "No idea though I am sure will go around first and visit few places we went through before." Takeru explained cheerfully, "I think for a start it would be a good idea if I go to places I ever visited, like… abandoned amusement park, primary village, Andromon's home… that kind of places."

"That's it?" Tailmon asked incredulously, she thought a boy would set sail to who knows where once they started their adventure. But then again that was for someone like Taichi not Takeru. "Not really a big step huh?"

"Baby step…" Takeru replied with a grin.

"Baby step…" Patamon repeated, then he added with thoughtful face. "Beside we have no destination… not a specific one at least. So it's okay to take it slowly ne Takeru?"

"Yep!"

"Uh huh…" Tailmon nodded sagely, "So… is there any empty space for another adventurer in this journey?" She asked hopefully as looking at Patamon. "Just in case you need me." She added quickly.

Takeru and Patamon looked at her then sighed, "Tailmon… sorry." Takeru muttered with apologetic face.

Patamon nodded in agreement, "Uhm… it wouldn't be fair for the others, especially Gabumon."

Takeru smiled, "It would be nice to have you around though… thanks for the offer."

"We will be fine!" Patamon assured her, "Don't worry about we can't take care ourselves or anything along that line! We start this journey to learn anyway! So rest assured Tailmon."

Tailmon shot him a look, "Thank you very much… I am just trying and Patamon…" She sighed wearily, "You really are dense and completely miss the whole point."

"Huh?" In which many question marks appeared above Patamon's and Takeru's head.

The cat digimon rolled her eyes at confused face they had, "Anyway I will be around the lake where you spent your first night in digital world." She informed them loftily, "I am sure the others would like to stay around that area too, so go there if you want see us okay?"

Takeru smiled at that, "Thanks Tailmon! I was a bit worried of how to find you guys later actually."

"Yeah, we will visit you guys later!" Patamon added cheerfully. Then with that they dashed to the deep forest with excited squeal, ready for whatever was waiting for them out there.

Tailmon stared at where Takeru and Patamon were before then her ears flopped down. "Stupid Patamon…" She grumbled in annoyed tone.

* * *

Few hours later

"WOAAAAAAA!" Takeru squealed excitedly as he ran down the slanted landscape of a meadow with his hands stretched out. Patamon was on his head with his wings wide open. "WOHOOOOOO!" Takeru's eyes were wide in excitement when they were lifted up to the air. Patamon's ears became a good parachute and wind blew them away gently.

"Ha ha ha ha…" Patamon didn't know he could fly so high in his child form but Takeru suggested them to try it when he saw the slanted ground. He said there was this kind of sport in the real world, and it was fun! "Takeru… This is so fun!"

"Yeah!" Then he looked at vast green sea beneath him then to the blue sky that stretched infinitely beyond reach. "Digital world! Here I come!" He yelled as loud as he could, "First stop! Primary village!"

Review Please!

* * *

**What do you think? Hope it as good as what you expect ^^ If you want to see Takeru's clothes please visit my Deviantart page, I titled the pic as 'wing of hope' ;) don't worry I am sure my pic is not that bad =_= I always draw outfit I describe on my fic since I am no good in describing it.**


	3. Chapter 2: Hopeful First Step

**I am wondering if anyone interested to be my beta? Please?**

**I am planning to have few more chapter of Takeru's journey before starting the 02 adventure~ but feel free to suggest otherwise.**

**Update on 06-01-13: Fixing timeline since I accidentally forgot two MAJOR events, stupid me!  
-Digimon movie (Our war) said to be happen around 1999-2000 after their departure back to real world. Takeru hold a role in this in my story. Due to many factors I am forced to alter the timeline to suit my needs. The day they left DW in first adventure 'probably' 4th August, according to calculation they made of 'what if' they spent the rest of their summer holiday in DW. Japan's summer holiday ended in 31st August.  
**

**-May 2000 is when they gave up their crest to revive sovereign according to wiki, but because of my story need to drag the timeline a little bit I will put it on July 2000.  
**

* * *

******(¯ˆ·.¸****Chapter 3: Hopeful First Step********¸.·ˆ¯)**

******October 4th, 1999**

Patamon and Takeru stared at each other, while Punimon, Yuramon, and other kind of baby digimons were perching on their head and snoring. Elecmon sighed at the digidestined pair, wondering how long they had been at it. Yuramon on Takeru's head yawned cutely then slept soundly, the bearers of hope were still oblivious of their surrounding,

"Hmmm…"

"Hmmm…"

Elecmon strolled to Takeru's side then jumped to pick up the sleeping baby digimon on his head, "You know pals? It's not that hard to decide where to go next. As far as I know. You guys were walking without destination just fine when you have no idea where the big bad digimon is." He pointed out nonchalantly, "What's so hard in picking one direction then go straight to it?" Elecmon asked incredulously.

Takeru groaned then laid himself comfortably on the fluffy ground of primary village, "We went to wherever Taichi-san's gut telling him." He informed the babysitter digimon helpfully, in which Elecmon wondered how Takeru said it as if that was something Taichi could be proud of. And how they could survive their adventure, Taichi had some kind of sixth sense of something? "It's a tough decision! I would like to go visiting Andromon but… the city I thought was where he is gone… and I am not sure the old amusement park is still exist now either."

Patamon grumbled, "How Taichi could decide where to go at a drop of a hat?" He wondered out loud.

"Because Taichi-san have courage to take huge decision…" Takeru answered, staring at blue sky where fluffy cloud passing by. That one looked like Taichi-san, especially the wild hair, Takeru thought with a smile. "Ne… Patamon, do you think I can be as brave as Taichi-san one day?"

The rodent digimon playfully gave a thoughtful face at Takeru, his small paw rested on his chin. "Hm… I wonder…"

The bearer of hope narrowed his eyes at his partner, "Patamon…"

Patamon laughed at Takeru then flew to him so he was right beside Takeru's head, "Takeru… a hope without courage to make it reality is just empty hope, iee… it's not even a hope."

Takeru stared at his partner then turned his attention back to the endless blue sky, "You are right Patamon… all this time, since I decide to stay here, I thought a lot about my crest mean… what is hope?"

"Then… what do you find?" Patamon asked curiously.

"I am different.." Takeru said, "Nii-san's crest, Sora's, Joe-san's crest… they are powered with their feeling toward others, and Taichi-san's, Mimi-san's and Koushiro's san… uhm it's more to the way they hold their belief…" The bearer of hope listed with dazed face, "Demo… boku wa… I am different, that time…" He muttered as the memory of their final battle played on his mind. "I said, everyone's hope is _my _hope. But did I really understand what I was talking about actually?" He wondered out loud.

Patamon looked at Takeru with confused face, "Takeru…" He called, "If you don't understand your crest how you used it all this time?"

Takeru's reply to that was quick, "I was desperate?" That was a statement even though it sounded like a question. "We were in pinch that time and yeah… hope work the best when we are in pinch ne?" He laughed out loud.

Patamon sweat-dropped, "You are joking…" He paused, "I hope."

"Anoo…" Elecmon called them, "It's not like I mind you are here but if you want to learn something other than babysitting, I am sure primary village is not the correct place~" He informed them loftily.

"…"

"…"

Both Takeru and Patamon stared at him then face-vaulted, "You are right…" They chorused, not to mention wasting time sitting in primary village was simply not productive.

Takeru sighed as he opened his backpack, and then he took a laptop that looked like Koushiro's except the pineapple logo replaced by crest of hope and the color was green and gold. It was also only half the size of Koushiro's laptop. "Uhm, let's see… Gennai-san said he installed map of digital world in here." Takeru mumbled as clicking a globe icon.

"Whoaa…" Elecmon grinned, "I thought only Koushiro can play around with that laptop-thingy!"

Takeru sweat-dropped at Elecmon, "If only using application everybody can do it! I maybe can't do programming or hacking like Koushiro-san but basic stuff I get that down… Gennai-san taught me a little."

Patamon hopped on Takeru's head, "So… what's on the map Takeru?"

The bearer of hope frowned then his eyes narrowed at the map," Patamon… the map… almost all of it written with '?' What is this suppose to mean? And why only file island is colored green and the the rest is black?"

"It's Gennai…" Patamon sighed.

"Ah… he left a message of instruction!" Takeru exclaimed as clicking envelope icon hastily.

_Dear Takeru _

_Hello sonny! Hope you find this application useful!  
You see… there is some area with blank description, I am sure you wonder why? It's simply because digital world is reforming after your last battle and when some area remain the same, the geography was not exactly the same! So! It's up to you bearer of hope! To fill that blank with your writing! This is the first step of your adventure in digital world! Once you reach the blank area the date would be gathered automatically by your laptop and digivice! This is a noble quest for upcoming project I planned to help digidestined in the future! It's still a secret though I assure you that this project would undoubtedly help you guys a lot! So do your best!_

_I wish you lots of luck in your quest!_

_Sincerely yours_

_Gennai ;D _

"…"

"…"

"I have a question." Elecmon broke the silence, "How you can find a map application with no description functional? And… as digiworld's guardian he supposed to be the one who map it! He is dumping his job to map digital world to you?" The last one was a statement not a question.

"…"

"Takeru?" Patamon called worriedly.

"Yosh! I will do my best Gennai-san!" He cheered, "Patamon let's go to northeast! It's the nearest seashore from here!"

"Takeru… anoo… it's good you are pumped over this quest but…" Patamon tried. "I think… whoaaa!" Patamon yelped when Takeru dashed to northeast was fast as he could, and the rodent digimon had to grab Takeru's hat to stay on Takeru's head.

"Bye bye Elecmon! See you soon!" Takeru shouted from the distance.

Elecmon sweat-dropped, "Is it me or Takeru has become so energetic and hyper since the last time I saw him? And I don't think I will see him anytime soon~ "

* * *

**********October 5th, 1999**

Takeru and Patamon was filling their thermos with water from well near an oasis, where palm trees grew so high as if they had reach the sky. "Ah… the water is so refreshing." Takeru muttered after gulping the cold water.

Patamon nodded in agreement, "It is!"

Sunflowmon who helped them to take water chuckled at them, "Fell free to drink your fill! There is enough for everyone!"

Digy-analyzer: Sunflowmon  
A plant type digimon, it's head shaped like a sunflower and they had a lizard like body. If it bathed in the sun's light it becomes very energetic, and even its offensive power rises. On days when the weather is good it will also flap the leaves on its back to fly around. Furthermore, its smile is feared for its eeriness.

"Arigato!" Takeru thanked her.

She smile eerily, at first it was kind of creepy but then again after Vamdemon and Piedmon her smile was not really that creepy for Takeru and Patamon. "Lalamon!" She called to the distance suddenly, "Bring some fresh coconut water for these two!"

Takeru gasped, "You don't have to trouble yourself with us! We are happy enough you let us fill our thermos from your well!"

Sunflowmon shook her head, "You guys helped us a lot! Thanks to you those nasty Ponchomons… those troublemakers… who knows what they would do to our beloved oasis this time."

Takeru scratched his head sheepishly, "We did nothing! Me and Angemon only led them to area with finest sand, you know that area is really a nasty trap… we also almost drowned there but luckily we can fly." He shuddered at the nasty memory, if Patamon didn't digivolve in time he would be at least buried three meters under sand surface.

The plant digimon handed Patamon and Takeru a green coconut full of sweet water with a straw on it. "Anyway you are still our hero Takeru, Patamon! So enjoy our little treat!"

"Ha ha ha…" Takeru laughed sheepishly, "If you say so."

After a while Sunflowmon began a conversation, "By the way… will you guys competing in the tournament? You are quite good with that staff of yours" She commented as eyeing short staff that strapped on Takeru's belt. Sunflowmon had saw the bearer of hope elongated the staff to be longer and taunted a hoard of Ponchomon with it.

Takeru and Patamon blinked, "What tournament?"

Sunflowmon titled her head, "You don't know? There is a big tournament in Geo City! This tournament held once a year where all knight type digimon, or any digimon who could use weapon competing in that tournament to decide who is the strongest among them!"

"Ohh…" Takeru oh-ed in amazement, "I don't know… but I don't think I can compete with digimon like Leomon or Ogremon in that tournament." Takeru was sure he could take child level or weak adult digimon like Numemon but he was not strong enough to take on stronger adult level.

The plant digimon waved her hand, "Ah I did see Leomon or other stronger adult level digimon, though a child like you couldn't compete with them in that tournament you know?"

"Eh?"

* * *

******************October 6th, 1999**

Patamon huffed, "We moved from one place to another place faster than ever! Why are we in hurry again?" He asked to no one.

Sunflowmon was the one who answered, "Because the registration for the tournament closed today."

"And?" That didn't explain anything, Patamon thought as he pushed on.

"The tournament also start after sun right above our head, so what are you waiting for?" Sunflowmon jogged as dashed to the registration where a Nanimon screamed his head off, calling anyone who interested in participate in the said tournament.

Patamon looked at dazed Takeru who stood on his left, "And since when we agree to participate? When we said it?" He asked.

Takeru blinked then looked at his partner with a grin, "But it sounds interesting! It's not matter we win or not! This is a chance to test ourselves!" He cheered with wider grin, "I bet Taichi-san will agree!"

At the mentioned name of certain bearer of courage Patamon rolled his eyes, "Isn't that obvious?"

"Beside… this tournament is safe! I heard no killing or permanent injury allowed! So why not?" Takeru asked again since he could hear disapproval on his digimon's voice.

"Well…"

"TAKERU! PATAMON!" Sunflowmon called them, "Hurry! This guy will explain the rule to you! Come here!" She said as waved her green limb.

"Coming!" Takeru cheered as dashed toward her.

Patamon groaned, "I haven't agreed with this!"

"So basically in this tournament you guys will fight with weapon and your fist! No fancy beam please~ There are 2 class, one for kiddos and the other for the big guys… you lose if knocked out, forfeit, or fall outside the arena more than ten seconds." Nanimon explained lazily as he pass up the scroll where he listed down participants who had registered to Numemon, and the first Numemon passed it to the next Numemon, to the third and to the fourth. Nobody could guess why someone didn't just move and hand it to the office right away."Simple right? By the way both of ya entering child class?"

"No! Patamon is in adult class!" Takeru cheered.

Everyone except Sunflowmon and Patamon blinked, "Are you serious?"

"YEP!" Takeru nodded cheerfully, then he raised his digivice.

Patamon SHINKA Angemon!

Angemon stepped out from pillar of light; he looked annoyed and grumpy but not less majestic than usual. The angel digimon crouched down so he could be face to face with Takeru, "Can you please explain…" He asked sternly, "Why we enter this tournament?"

When Takeru was about to open his mouth Nanimon for some reason wrote down their name as humming, "So there… Angemon in adult class and Takeru Takaishi in child class."

Angemon turned to the bald digimon, stomping furiously to his table. "You can't do that without my consent!"

"You didn't say objection before I write it down." Nanimon replied cheerfully, grinning at the angel digimon. "And… it's a law that nobody can forfeit the tournament after I write down their name unless you are very ill or serious injury that's not self-inflicted."

The Angel digimon hissed, "Okay… you can keep my name there but erase my partner's name!"

"Why should I?" Nanimon huffed.

Takeru tugged Angemon's blue cloth, "I want to enter! It's my idea in the first place!"

"But this tournament is dangerous!" Angemon was not happy his partner stepped on dangerous situation willingly, and under his watch to boot. "And I didn't teach you self-defense to put yourself in situation that require you to use it on purpose. There is a reason why it called self-defense Takeru!"

"But!" Takeru almost whined.

"Nobody will get killed! Or seriously injured!" Said Nanimon as shaking his head, "The worse you can get is light concussion! And he is in child class!"

"Oh!" Angemon gritted his teeth, "But what can guarantee you are right? Or guarantee Takeru's safety for that matter?" He asked incredulously, "You cannot but _expect_ me to be concerned!" And Nanimon groaned at the mother hen digimon.

Takeru tugged in Angemon's blue cloth again, "Angemon… I think Gabumon is rubbed off on you."

Angemon ignored Takeru's comment, "By all means… I can't fight when Takeru is somewhere else fighting his fight!"

Nanimon grinned at the angel digimon, "The good news is… there would be preliminary round for adult class, which would be held before child class tournament and then… you have your real tournament for adult class."

"Eh?"

"All master whose disciple in child class will watch their student fight, you are not the only one Sir Angemon." Nanimon rolled up his scroll then passed it to Numemons. "We only have one arena anyway~"

"Is that so…" That calmed him a great deal, but not completely.

"Then it's settled." He waved his hand, then walked away then hopped on the hoard of Numemons and the hoard of green digimon and moved away as fast as they could without limbs, "So long pal!"

Angemon rubbed his forehead, "Okay… that's weird, but anyway… if your opponent is about to inflict any permanent harm on you I will step in." Said Angemon to his partner.

Takeru shrugged, "I will take what I can… but I am sure I can take care of myself."

* * *

**Star hill, Altar of Azulongmon **

The great dragon digimon dove from layers of misty cloud, chains that enveloped his body crinkled he slithered up and down majestically. Before him stood a bony old man on a peak of a tall rock, muttering as he kneeled before the mighty digimon sovereign.

"Is that so…?" Azulongmon drawled calmly, "Hm…"

Gennai nodded, "I assure you milord… Takeru, the child of hope will bring the new era in digital world."

"…"

"Milord…"

Azulongmon titled his head up, his crimson eyes locked on Gennai's. "I never doubt the child of hope's ability…"

"But…"

"My fellow sovereign surely will voice their displeasure… as for them human is not meant to venture in out world…" He paused, "Unless we need them."

Gennai stood up carefully, sighing wearily. "Is that all?"

Azulongmon rolled his eyes, "I hope it's just them being too arrogant, but in fact it's because child of hope of all people who decide to stay…"

"You mean because his partner is an angel digimon?" Gennai asked warily, "Surely they didn't think that…"

The digimon sovereign nodded, "Exactly why they are wary of the child of hope… so far the child has displayed formidable ability in synchronizing with his partner."

"And that's is worrying?" Gennai asked incredulously, "Milord… don't you think it's enough we demand them to protect our world and we keep so many secret from them as manipulating them from the dark?"

"We guided them…" Azulongmon corrected reluctantly, he actually agreed they were so selfish to drag children to their world and endangered their lives.

Gennai gritted his teeth, "Fine… but milord please! Put some faith to Takeru! He is the bearer of hope, and it's simply ridiculous to distrust him of all people!"

The dragon was agreed about that, Takeru was one of the children under his guardianship. "I agree… but in any case to trust that child… other sovereign would be more lenient of his partner was not an angel digimon."

He snapped, "But the prophecy stated we can't have but an angel digimon for both hope and light!"

"I know… but in the other hand shouldn't you consider what happened in the past?" Azulongmon reminded him, "The very reason only a handful of angel digimon left roaming this digital world…"

Gennai shook his head, "A handful before you were sealed milord… now is none, except two who are partners of digidestined."

He sighed wearily, "At first… angel digimon were the guardian of digital world but now… we have to rely on digidestined." Azulongmon suppressed a groan, "But still… keep an eye on Takeru and his partner."

"I don't mind." Gennai admitted, "But I mind doing that if not for keeping them safe but spying on them just to assure other sovereign they will not fall from grace! I can't accept that!"

"What can I do to change that?" Azulongmon asked, "I am still sealed by the power of dark master… and unless digidestined restore us with their power, my hands are tied Gennai…"

"I refuse to call them back unless one year have passed." Gennai stated firmly.

"That's fine…" He paused briefly then suddenly an orb of light appeared on his horn then flew to Gennai's hand, "Give that to the child… he will need it."

Gennai looked up with gratefulness etched on his face, "Thank you milord…" He nodded, "Takeru will be so happy to receive this."

Azulongmon's chuckled echoed as his form faded to the sea of cloud, "I did what I could… and give my regards to him Gennai…"

"Certainly… milord."

* * *

Angemon was having a nervous wreck as he watched Takeru dodged a Kotemon's attack, skillfully blocked the shinai with his rod. A Dinohumon was standing right beside Angemon, looking at him with mirth. His wings fluttered up and down when weapons clashed, the fight had been in stalemate since the very beginning.

_Digi-analyzer: Dinohyumon is a Dragon Man Digimon which lives in primitive areas where civilization has not yet reached. Dinohyumon has the character of an aggressive soldier of the dragon family, and lives in tribes. The large sword "Akinakes" is swung by his indomitable muscles._

"Are your nervous?" Dinohumon asked the obvious.

Angemon nodded reluctantly, "I actually… don't want him to compete in this tournament."

"Then why?"

"Takeru insist." Angemon sighed wearily.

Dinohumon raised an eyebrow, "That's no way of protecting your disciple pal! As fair as I see… he is doing good, this fight is not out of his league."

"But I taught him to defend himself and not…" Angemon began wearily.

"And waiting to be attacked to use your teaching is not going to help him…" Dinohumon corrected loftily, "It's just nature of a male gender in general to prove himself and gain approval, I don't know about you but surely… your disciple want to know how strong he is now."

Angemon groaned, "Approval… huh?" Was that why Takeru decided to stay? So he could become stronger to protect his friends. But then again…

"WINNER! Takeru!" The referee announced when Takeru managed to corner his opponent and knocked the shinai wielder digimon out.

"YAY!" Takeru cheered then turned to his partner who stood in front row on audience area. "I win Angemon! I WIN!"

Despite of Angemon being unsure of Takeru's reason to endanger himself just to prove his power, the angel digimon smiled in response. "You did it… Takeru." And the child of hope grinned in return; the tournament was just a beginning for their big adventure!

Review please!

* * *

**So I want to show the side of a digimon partner who is not always all wise-knowing about their partner. They after all despite of very intelligent are not human and raised in different civilization so... there is different perspective :) **

**ANyway... I hope you guys can give me info about Ryo Akiyama, because I REALLY want to put him in this story and I NEED that guy but so far info I got from wiki is kind of confusing so I wonder if anyone ever play his game? PLEASE HELP ME! And also his connection with Ken! I need it ROAR!**


	4. Chapter 3: A Leap of Hope

**Don't ask why I update this now, I don't know either~ But I suddenly get rid of my writers block and write this down for three days straight, the plan is to upload on new year but it became longer and loooooooonger. It's 9K chapter so count it as three chapters, so it's tripple update actually! **

**Many thanks for Lord Pata to send me that useful website about Ryo Akiyama! Next chap would be his turn, or at least a small appearance. **

**I know what I will write next but I don't know how I will write it down later... this chapter especially vast and cover a lot of things. One more chapter and I can write from the start of adventure 02! I can't wait! I wanna write badass preteen Takeru soon! I want to write TAKARI! **

**Update on 06-01-13: Fixing timeline since I accidentally forgot two MAJOR events, stupid me!  
-Digimon movie (Our war) said to be happen around 1999-2000 after their departure back to real world. Takeru hold a role in this in my story. Due to many factors I am forced to alter the timeline to suit my needs. The day they left DW in first adventure 'probably' 4th August, according to calculation they made of 'what if' they spent the rest of their summer holiday in DW. Japan's summer holiday ended in 31st August.  
**

**-May 2000 is when they gave up their crest to revive sovereign according to wiki, but because of my story need to drag the timeline a little bit I will put it on July 2000.  
**

* * *

******(¯ˆ·.¸********Chapter 3: A Leap of Hope****¸.·ˆ¯)**

* * *

**********************October 6th, 1999**

Angemon panted as he used his staff to support his weight, in the final of adult level competition he fought against Dinohyumon. It was a long and hard fight, the broad sword wielder digimon was strong. Not the same sort of strong like Piedmon or other evil digimon he fought before. Dinohyumon was not brute powered digimon simply because of his level but because he was skilled and experienced. In some foreign way Angemon felt the match was… fun. It was a strange feeling for him, because as long as he remembered he never feels a fight as fun but now…

"Winner! Angemon!"

Dinohyumon groaned as he stood up with difficulty, blinked when he saw offered hand of Angemon. He grinned bestially as he accepted the offered hand. "Thanks, that's a great fight. You're really skilled with your staff pal!"

Angemon flushed slightly at the compliment, "Thank you, you're a great swordsman yourself."

As both digimon were back on their feet they shook their hands, "Let's have a match again someday."

"It would be an honor." Angemon accepted cordially.

* * *

**Few Hours later…**

Takeru and Patamon was sitting under a lush kurma tree, the tournament just ended and after a feast for the champion they decided to rest before they decided their next destination. "That was fun!" Takeru beamed as he hugged a gold medal the size of a baseball ball to his chest. "I can't believe we won the first place! I mean… it was a close call in final match against Kotemon for me!" A different and stronger Kotemon than one Takeru fought in the first round, the shinai wielder was Takeru's opponent in final for children tournament.

Patamon sighed as he patted the band-aid so it stuck properly on Takeru's left cheek. "Yes Takeru, I am glad you're happy. But next time please don't sign yourself up without thinking twice."

"It's fun." Takeru pouted, then he perked up at the two figures that approached them, "Ah hello! Dinohyumon! Kotemon!"

Dinohyumon beamed at the child of hope, "Hello brave champion, where's your master?" He asked, looking at their surrounding curiously. "I want to have a word with him."

Patamon raised his paw, "Uhm, over here!"

The dragon man digimon stared at the small digimon, "Excuse me?"

Patamon sighed then began to explain about his 'default' form, purposely leaving bits about chosen children power. Takeru and Patamon decided to not disclose their hero status because they wanted to avoid unnecessary attention, not to mention if underlings of their defeated foes wanted to take revenge on them.

"I see… that's an unique condition you have there." Dinohyumon looked a bit dumbfounded that his newly acknowledged rival was apparently a cute batpig digimon when not in battlefield. "Nevertheless… " He trailed off, rubbing the back of his head. "Kotemon here is my little brother and disciple. Thank you for giving him a good match." The little Kotemon bowed shyly to Takeru.

Takeru rubbed the back of his head sheepishly, "You're welcome! And thank you for the good match too!"

Kotemon gave a curt nod in return, "Uhm, brother and I would like to invite you to our island. We heard you and your master are adventurer, so we think you would like to visit our place."

Dinohyumon had a glint on his eyes as he nodded sagely, "Our island is a paradise for martial artist digimon." He raised his hands grandly; "It's once in a lifetime opportunity to welcome talented warrior such as you and your disciple." Dinohyumon leaned in conspiratorially. "Our island is located in secret area of Digital world, we rarely invited outsider. Once… in… a… lifetime…"

To be honest that sounded too good to be true to Patamon, the secret area part also made him very curious. It was a very tempting offer, especially the opportunity to brush their skill if eager look on Dinohyumon was anything to go by. But still… Takeru's safety was the first priority to him, accepting an invitation from someone they barely knew was very reckless.

Yes, it was too reckless. Patamon hummed to himself, the wise choice would be asking Dinohyumon to let them to consider the invitation for now and declined politely if it was too dangerous. "Well Dinohyumon, we think…"

"Really?" Takeru asked excitedly at the two, stars in his eyes at the prospect of new land to explore. "We would love to!" Takeru said, shaking Kotemon's hands enthusiastically in which returned by the shinai wielding digimon with equal fervor.

"Our island is very beautiful." Kotemon said shyly, "Lush forest and vast meadow…" He listed on. "You will love it Takeru-san."

Takeru if anything became more and more excited, "Oh!"

Dinohyumon patted Patamon's back, startling the child digimon. "We have a big dojo in my home, the training facility is also the best of the best." He grinned, "Swordsman, archer, lancer, hand to hand combat… any fighting style in digimon world you could name." The dragon man digimon rose his free hand as the other pulled Patamon closer, "You're not thinking to pass up this chance, do you? Patamon-san…"

"Eh… " Patamon sweat-dropped at the adult digimon. "You have no intention to let us to say no in the first place, don't you?" He pointed out.

Dinohyumon's grin was the only reply, the next thing Patamon know he was hoisted to Dinohyumon's shoulder. "Alright! Next stop! Nebulous Port!"

"Huh?!"

Kotemon raised Takeru's hand, the bearer of hope blinked owlishly. "Yosh!" Kotemon cheered.

Patamon yelped when he and Takeru was dragged out of the town, crossing the vast Doc Desert. "This is an abduction!" Patamon yelled in frustration, but his protest fell on deaf ears.

**Nebulous Port **

Their boat had just departed, and Patamon couldn't enjoy the ride at all. First Dinohyumon and Kotemon went inside a pub, a place was unpleasant especially the sharp smell of alcohol that made them cringe. The secret tunnel the bartender, a Bakemon led them to was dark and creepy. If that was not enough, the sailing to their island in spite of smooth was nowhere enjoyable. After all who could enjoy a vertical voyage?

"Wohoo! This is so fun!" Takeru cheered from his seat.

On second thought, Takeru did. "Takeru, this is like a long ride on roller coaster. But only up direction." The ship they used or rather a gondola was black in color with a dragon statue on the tip. It also had eight chair for passenger to sit.

Takeru nodded in agreement, "What do you mean this is not fun for you Patamon? You could fly like this as Angemon all the time!"

"Using my own wings, six of it." Patamon muttered under his breath, looking straight at the pillar of water the ship rode on. "This ship has none."

Dinohyumon just laughed at Patamon's distress, "Live up pal! And enjoy the ride." Patamon rolled his eyes, "Just two more hours until we reach the next port."

"… Wake me up when it's over." Patamon said as he shuddered as the G force made his stomach churning.

Their homeland was called the Byte Island, and it was floating in the sky like some sort of missing piece of puzzle from the continent that drifted far away to the sky. It was just like Kotemon said, a beautiful land with vast green lush of flora and a village that burst with life. Takeru and Patamon looked at the view before them with awe, while Dinohyumon who stood behind them couldn't help but puffed his chest with pride.

"Welcome… to our humble home." Dinohyumon said his welcome grandly to his guests.

Takeru turned to Kotemon, his eyes were sparkling with delight. "You guys live here?"

Kotemon nodded, "Come on, let's go to our house! It's almost dinner!"

"We can't wait to treat you to our homeland's special dish!" Dinohyumon agreed with sagely nod.

Takeru and Patamon's stomach rumbled in agreement, they flushed a deep red. "Dinner sounds nice." They agreed shyly.

The next thing they knew, once again their new friends dragged them across the lively village. Takeru and Patamon was excited to see the village, especially when they walked pass a group of digimon running in one line and wearing the same white uniform Takeru saw on Judo player or any other martial artist. The market was also a sight to see, mouth-watering vegetable and fruit were displayed in grand manner as merchants that mostly plant digimon like Floramon, Sunfowmon and even Palmon. There was a Swanmon, a very beautiful swan like digimon was selling fish and very passionately haggling with one of her customer.

"This village is so lively!" Takeru said to Patamon.

The batpig digimon nodded, "It is!"

"Oi! Hurry up pals!" Dinohyumon who had walk a bit ahead of them called, "My home is already near!"

"Yes!" Takeru and Patamon chorused, rushed to catch up with their new friends.

The home Dinohyumon was pointing looked very ethnic to Takeru, reminding him of traditional house of Tropical Island he saw on TV before. It was mostly made of dark wood with strange carving all the way to its roof. It was not big but very homey.

"We have one spare room, enough for the two of you." Dinohyumon said as he led them inside his house.

The interior was simple with a dining room on the terrace, another one that was functioning as living room too was located on the centre of the house. On the left of the indoor dining room were two doors, bedrooms that belonged to Dinohyumon and his brother. On the right were also two doors, a guest room and another was the kitchen. There were many ethnic style décor on the wall like painting, beads, wooden statue, etc.

Takeru was excited to see the room Dinohyumon gave them. It was a decent sized room with a wooden shelves to put their luggage, a desk with a chair and a single bed made of wood with a white thin mattress on top of it. "Wow! It's a nice room!"

Dinohyumon raised an eyebrow at Takeru, rubbing the back of his head. "Really? It's barely decent actually."

Patamon almost let out a squeak when the dragon man digimon patted his back, "Eh? Yes?"

"Man, this is really awkward. I know you're the same guy who defeated me but…" He trailed off forlornly, "But nevertheless, may I have a word with you? Master to master talk." Takeru and Kotemon were busy chattering with each other, talking about the island and what to explore. None of them noticed Dinohyumon and Patamon trod lightly to exit the room and went to the terrace.

Patamon was speechless when Dinohyumon suddenly bowed deeply and fell to his knees. "Thank you for protecting this world Patamon-san. We, the warrior tribe digimon are forever in your debt."

It took a few second until the child digimon could comprehend the situation. "You know us?"

Dinohyumon sat up and nodded, "Yes, of course. Centaurumon was an old friend of mine and he told me about you and your comrades."

Centaurumon, the digimon that was controlled by Devimon's black gear. Patamon also heard from Gennai that Centaurumon was a friend of his. "Uhm… I don't know what to say, but we did what we could for this world."

He nodded in response, "You may not know this but this island was once a base of digimon warrior who fought in the past against evil." He shook his head, "We don't know since when but until recently the access to this island was sealed."

Patamon's eyes widened, "You mean… you guys actually have the same duty as digidestined?"

The dragon man digimon nodded, "Yes, long time ago my ancestors fought alongside the digidestined that summoned to this world… " He paused, "The elders suspected it's an evil digimon's doing, even though we had sensed evil once again tried to conquer digital world all we could do was sit back and sharpened our rusty weapon." Dinohyumon said wryly.

"…" If that was the case why Gennai never told them about this island and the tribe? They needed all help they could get as they had learned when they fought the dark masters. "We won." Patamon stated, "And Peace have returned to this world."

The dragon man digimon quieted down but then nodded, "There's no use to cry over spilled milk, or regretting the war we couldn't fought in and have passed." He agreed with a sigh.

Patamon nodded, "Yes."

"But Patamon-san, why you and your partner is still here?" Dinohyumon asked curiously, "According to the legend, human would be returned to their world once their duty is fulfilled."

"… It's Takeru's choice." Patamon contemplated if he should keep quiet of the possibility of evil that would raise once again in digital world. He looked at Dinohyumon in the eyes, it was full of sincerity, bravery and more than anything determination. "There's a chance that greater evil than one we fought before will rise in Digital world. Takeru stayed because he wants to be stronger to protect this world and his."

His eyes widened, "What?! If that's the case…" He trailed off in shock then turned to Patamon with determined eyes. "As much as I would like to ask you to let me and my tribe to stand by your side when the need arise, there's something I think I should tell you first…"

"?"

"Our tribe now is divided by two, half is supportive of digidestined and desires to fight by your side but another half…" He trailed off regretfully, "They wanted to fight their own war without your help, their pride as a warrior getting the better of them and think digidestined as a hindrance."

"What?!" How dare them?!" Patamon clenched his paw in anger. After everything Takeru and other children had been through for this world!

Dinohyumon was ashamed to admit it but it was true. "They're jealous of you, they think it's your fault this island was isolated… that we're no longer needed to fight because you fight our war."

"We fought to protect!" Patamon almost yelled, "Not for glory!"

The dragon man digimon raised his hands in placating gesture, "I know Patamon-san, I told them many times that pride is making them blind and bitter."

"…And you brought us here?!" Patamon didn't like the prospect of living in possible hostile area, even if it was half of them.

"You don't have to worry… " The dragon man digimon assured Patamon, "Everyone in this village is grateful to digidestined. There are eight village in this island, and four of them is in your favor including mine."

That relieved Patamon a little but not completely, "Why you brought us here?"

Dinohyumon sighed, rubbing the back of his head sheepishly. "After everything you and your comrades have done for us, I would like to lend you a hand to grow stronger. This island after all… the best training ground in digital world."

Patamon was awed to hear such a noble cause, although some part of him was not convinced yet. "Oh."

He let out a hearty laugh, "That's the noble mumbo jumbo I come up with but to tell you the truth…" He trailed off with a toothy grin, "You beat me in a fair match, and I can't help but want you and your partner around simply because I want a rival and friend to compete with."

"…"

"It's true!"

The batpig digimon sighed, the guy was helpless battle maniac but not a bad guy. "… Now I sense your honesty." Patamon nodded sagely, "The first one is a bit too noble for you." He joked.

"Is that a challenge I heard?" Dinohyumon asked with faked innocence.

Patamon just laughed in response.

* * *

**********************October 6th, 1999** (07:45PM)  


_We won a martial arts competition, I washaving so much fun. Not so much for Angemon since he thought I am realy reckless to join a competition out of the blue. But in the end it was all good for both of us. _

_Our new friends, Kotemon and his older brother Dinohyumon brought us along to their island. It's a floating island in the sky! The village is so beautiful and lively! Simply one of the best places we ever visit in digital world. _

_Dinohyumon is determined to get us to train together in their dojo, he has this rivalry thing going on with Patamon. I and Kotemon, the disciple as Dinohyumon loved to call us have a tight schedule of training. I think the schedule is even harsher than one I used when I started my training with Angemon. It's fine though, especially since I am not alone in this training from hell! _

_Day by day I am growing stronger! _

_I wonder what nii-san would say if he sees the schedule, he is not going to be happy for sure! _

Takeru closed his diary with a hum, there's nothing much he had write but that summarize what happened nicely. "Patamon?" He called his partner who was laying on their single bed, not asleep but staring at the ceiling.

Patamon rolled around so he could face Takeru. "If… I am going to stay as Angemon forever…" He trailed off, "What… do you… think about it?"

Takeru blinked owlishly at his partner, "Uhm, what do you mean… staying as Angemon?"

Patamon sat up, determined look on face. "It's just… a thought that have been on my mind for a while." He stated with a sigh, "As a Patamon there's not much I can do to protect you." Takeru was about to open his mouth but the partner digimon cut him off, "Picodevimon doesn't count as dangerous enemies." At least after they figured out the little devil's deception, Picodevimon was better in talking than fighting any day. "Tailmon can keep her adult level state… and if it's possible for me to keep my form that ideal for battle…" He trailed off hesitantly.

Takeru patted Patamon's back assuringly as he sat beside his partner on bed, "If that's what you want Patamon, then go for it!" Patamon blinked, looking at his partner with curious eyes. "Whether you're Patamon or Angemon, you're still you, so it's fine!"

Patamon looked hesitate for a moment before he asked, "Are you sure Takeru? For me to stay as Angemon? Forever maybe?"

Takeru huffed, "Koushiro once told me that digivolution is a process of growing up for digimon. You don't have to worry about growing up Patamon, we're going to grow up together!" Takeru said with determined eyes as he hold Patamon's paw on his hands. "If you're growing up, I will too!"

Patamon smiled then nodded enthusiastically. Why he doubted his partner even for a moment, Takeru would always understand him and vice versa. It's no different from what they've been through. They're growing up together. "It's a promise! We will grow up together!"

"It's a promise!" Takeru echoed with a grin as he shook Patamon's paw up and down.

They laid down together in bed, giggling like children they were as talking about their future. One day they would be an adult, as a human and a digimon but at least for tonight they were growing children.

* * *

**********December 10th, 1999  
**

The training or rather the drilling Dinohyumon subjected them into for three months made both Takeru and Patamon thought they were on the verge of death a couple of times. The drilling consist mostly of running to raise their stamina, which in Dinohyumon was one area they severely lacking on. The other training schedule was all about perfecting what they had in their repertoire, accuracy, speed and power. For the first month after the training ended, both of them barely had any strength to eat dinner and sometimes fell asleep as soon as they emptied their plate. On second month they started to get the hang of it and managed to get themselves to bed without help. Their appetite however doubled and Takeru could eat almost as much as digimon's normal portion.

By the third month the result could already seen, especially on Patamon. The digimon partner had spent less and less time in his child form, spending most of the time as Angemon. By the time Dinohyumon introduced his guest to villagers formally Patamon already managed to keep his adult form for a long period. Their identity was also kept secret for the time being to avoid unnecessary conflict with those who disliked digidestined. Villagers only knew them as Angemon and Takeru a pair of master and disciple Dinohyumon invited to sharpen their skill in the Byte Island.

In spite of the hardship and hiding their identity, Takeru and his partner digimon enjoyed their stay in Byte Island.

"Angemon-sensei!" A dog looking digimon with red boxing gloves on his paws called the holy digimon.

Angemon was flying on top of a totem, inclining his head slightly to the child level digimon. "Gaomon, have you find Takeru?" The six winged digimon asked as he landed in front of the dog like digimon.

_Digi-analyzer: Gaomon  
A child level digimon with an appearance of a young blue akita-like dog, who wears a red scarf tied around his head and a pair of large red boxing gloves. _

Gaomon nodded, "Yes, I heard from Swanmon that Kotemon and Bearmon dragged him to explore a ruin in Southern Valley." The child level digimon explained. "It's not a dangerous area but that weird researcher lives nearby."

Angemon raised an eyebrow beneath his helmet, "Weird researcher?"

"He is, sensei." The child level digimon nodded sagely, "His name is Wisemon, and while he is not a bad guy almost everyone avoid him because he is a weirdo and always yelling at us if we come near his house."

While Angemon was skeptical about this researcher, he didn't think he wanted Takeru to be anywhere near a digimon who would yell at anyone who come close to its house. "I see… " He shifted his grip on his staff as he floated just inches from the ground. "Thank you for your assistance Gaomon, I will go to catch up with Takeru and his friends."

Gaomon waved his hands, "You're welcome Angemon-sensei! See you later!"

Angemon bid the dog digimon a good bye as he flapped his regal wings and flew higher to the sky. As he flew Angemon wondered why Kotemon and Bearmon brought Takeru to such place, there shouldn't be anything interesting to see in Southern Valley. It was their rare off day from training too. Whatever the trio had gotten themselves into, Angemon hoped they were not in trouble.

* * *

Takeru was in a pinch, he couldn't recall since when but Kotemon and Bearmon left him behind. Probably when he was admiring carving on the cave they explored, they probably didn't notice Takeru stopped either. Angemon would be so worried, or he already worried sick. He had been gone for three hours, usually Angemon would start looking the moment Takeru was out for more than one hour from his sight.

He should really get back to the village soon. The problem was he had no idea which direction he should take. The cave had many passageways and he had walked too deep, and at one point following the carving that was telling a story he forgot which way he took before.

"Well… I am in a deep trouble." He should really find the way back before Angemon and Dinohyumon dispatched a search party. He turned to the left in which the carved story continued, a story about the great war in the past and heroic exploit of a digimon knight. Fortunately the cave had glowing moss growing around so it's not dark so he could see the carving clearly. He clapped his hands, "Sorry Angemon! But it's hard to resist the temptation!" He was too curious for his own good, damn it!

"I see…" An eerie voice that mixed with excitement whispered on his back. "You're interested in this piece of history."

Takeru jumped in fright, turning around sharply to find a digimon staring at him with two beady yellow eyes. "Who?!"

"My name is Wisemon." The digimon introduced himself.

_Digi-analyzer: Wisemon  
A perfect level digimon that completely shrouded in mystery, wearing dark red robe and pale yellow scarf covered its face. He can appear anywhere in time and space via the Book it carries around._

"I am the researcher of digital world and wish to learn every single secret in this world." Wisemon introduced himself grandly, "Would you like to join me to learn its secret little one?"

Takeru blinked in confusion at the demon man digimon. "Huh?!"

**Meanwhile… **

Gennai was also in a pinch, he was not stuck somewhere unknown but he was in a worse position. The old guardian had let his guard down for a moment three months ago, and just like that he lost contact with Takeru. He had no idea where Takeru had gone but wherever he was, the child of hope was not in Azulongmon's territory, which didn't make sense since a day before he disappeared Takeru was in Geo city that located in the middle of Azulongmon's territory. The boy couldn't be moving so fast without Gennai noticing, if it was even possible in the first place.

"Have you found Takeru?" Azulongmon's deep voice boomed.

"No milord." Gennai answered hesitantly, "Even his digivice couldn't be detected."

Azulongmon frowned at Gennai, "There's only few places where we couldn't tract digidestined."

Gennai gasped at the sovereign's implication, "You don't mean…"

The azure dragon lowered his head, "Yes… very few, areas that were once part of digital world. After the great war they were trapped between dimensions, since in that era the digimon sovereign were not in power yet… we have no authority over them."

"But! If those lands resurface to this world…" Gennai trailed off in horror.

"Yes…" The sovereign of the east agreed bitterly, "The tragedy in the lost history of digital world would resurface… once again…"

* * *

**Byte Island**

Wisemon trailed his long and nimble fingers across the carving of twelve figures that standing in circle, some of them carrying a sword, lance and shield. Takeru had long lost wariness of the robed digimon. Wisemon was not exactly friendly but he was not hostile either, if anything the digimon seemed enthusiastic to explain the carving to Takeru.

"Looooong time ago." He began in his eerie voice that made Takeru shuddering, "The strongest knight digimons were the rulers of this land." The demon man digimon explained as his finger trailed to a carving of an island, the shape of the land was almost a perfect circle and divided evenly to twelve areas. "Once… their fort stood proudly, protecting this world from evil. They were called… The Royal Knights."

Takeru frowned, if these guys really existed then what happened to them. "What happened?"

Wisemon happily obliged to answer as he moved on the next picture, dark cloud over digital world and giant clawed hands hovered over the world. "Great evil…" Wisemon continued with his eerie voice, "So great… that even The Royal Knights were defeated after a long war that lasted for six years, six months and six days… the war however was nether won nor lost. It was a complete annihilation… This is the Second Great Digital War."

The child of hope gulped, that was a very long war. Theirs couldn't even hold a candle in comparison; there must be so much sadness, despair and blood shed in such a long time. Takeru shuddered again as he hugged himself, not because Wisemon's eerie voice but imagining the tragedy of the past.

"What happened to digital world after that war?" Takeru asked with alarm in his voice, he had no idea why but something deep inside him urged to look into this bloody history. "I want to know." He added hesitantly.

Wisemon snorted as if he was disgusted by something, "Well… " He pointed at where the next carving supposed to be carved but what on the wall was gouged, as if a digimon with claws desperately gouged it out of the wall. "Some barbarian dared to harm this precious heritage." He growled under his breath. "But according to bits I gathered from various source, this world was reborn and become the way it is today…" He shook his head and then suddenly his eyes became red in anger.

Takeru almost jumped when the digimon yelled on his face, shaking his shoulders back and forth. "Can you imagine that boy?! Someone have purposely destroy this mural to hide a history and dare to cover it with some cheap fairy tale ending!"

The child of hope became dizzy as the demon man digimon continued shaking him back and forth. "Uh… I guess? It's awful."

"Yeah!" Takeru closed his eyes as the digimon shouted again, "How dare they…" he trailed off but froze when a golden staff suddenly zipped pass, barely missed his head and impaled deep on the wall.

"How dare you manhandle Takeru like that." A familiar deep voice hissed at Wisemon who quickly unhand Takeru and spun in shock at the newcomer.

Takeru blinked as he felt someone shifted behind him, holding him gently by his shoulder. "Angemon?"

Angemon looked downright pissed, an unusual sight for the angel digimon. Then again it was not every day he had to comb through the whole village to look for Takeru, went through narrow (for him and his six wings) and smelly cave, only to find a demon man digimon was manhandling his partner.

Wisemon at any other day wouldn't be intimidated by a digimon that one level lower than him. However with his brilliant mind he could tell this digimon was his natural enemy, he was a demon man digimon and Angemon was an angel digimon. Level would matter little if they clash. Not to mention Wisemon was never a fighter, he was a researcher who spent most of his days exploring ruins and cooped up with his books. This angel digimon looked fit in battlefield, definitely not a digimon he wanted to fight with.

"Uhm… let me explain sir." Wisemon tried to sooth the angel digimon's anger and failing spectacularly.

Angemon gritted his teeth, "You have ten seconds to explain why you manhandled Takeru."Takeru was about to open his mouth to defend Wisemon but the demon man digimon was faster, and somehow he managed to explain everything within the time limit Angemon set in one breath. "Just carried away…" Angemon echoed dryly. "I am not really keen to trust you but since Takeru is unharmed in spite of in your company for a while, I guess I can trust you." The 'for now' was left unaired.

Wisemon sighed in relieve, he had no wish to get killed today. "Thank you…"

Wisemon could feel the angel digimon had not let his guard down, judging from how the angel digimon clenched and unclenched his fist around his staff. One wrong move would be a free one way trip to Primary village. He wanted to talk more with the child of hope, it was not every day he could meet someone who wanted to talk and listen to him and his lecture. He always sought for someone, not knowing what someone but he found it in Takeru.

A friend…

Now… how to get this Angel digimon in his favor?

Angemon wondered if this digimon really lived up to his name, especially when his thinking pose revealed what running through the demon man digimon's mind. The angel digimon could tell this digimon for some reason was fond of Takeru and thinking of ways to get his approval. While gaining another comrade was a favorable idea, Angemon was not sure he wanted a demon man digimon to be anywhere near Takeru. After all, the last demon man they met was Piedmon, and Wisemon had the same mysterious and eccentric vibe the demented clown had.

After a few moment Wisemon came to a decision, "Would you like me to share my research with you?"

"Huh?" Was the response of Angemon, mirroring his partner when faced by Wisemon's abrupt offer.

The demon man digimon if anything looked excited. "Let's go to my atelier! Come on."

Angemon crossed his arms, "Very well…" There's no harm indulging Wisemon, as long as he didn't try anything funny.

Wisemon grinned as he opened the book he carried around, a blinding light enveloped them and Angemon cursed as he tried to get Takeru away from the light but it was too late when they were sucked in, along with laughing Wisemon. It was dark for a moment until they found themselves in a cramped room. It was not a small room but with so many boxes and other thigs stacked and thrown messily around the room there was not much empty space left to walk around. The room fascinated Takeru, there were a lot of strange things floating around. There's even a mechanical hand with yellow orb that emitted electricity like what he watched in superhero's lab. Rows of bookshelves that arranged neatly, silver and rust colored metal wall, tubes running through the circular room

Angemon pushed away the creepy looking teddy bear that almost crashed to his face, "Where are we?" He asked in wonder.

"My atelier." Wisemon informed the angel digimon, "Or lab, or office." He patted his wooden desk, "Whatever you fancy to call it with."

"Cool!" Takeru couldn't help but complimented the room.

Angemon stared at his partner in disbelief; this rundown room with suspicious looking devices was cool? He couldn't comprehend human's taste sometimes. He stood up, which made him pretty intimidating for Wisemon since the angel digimon was at least two feet taller than the robed digimon.

"Erm… let's start the lesson shall we?" He offered timidly, pulling out a white board and a marker out of nowhere.

Angemon opened his mouth to protest but Takeru had pulled a chair and took a seat, his eyes were sparkling with excitement. "Yes Sensei!"

The angel digimon groaned, Takeru also seemed to be getting on the bandwagon as well. Angemon took a seat, following his partner's example. A small lesson couldn't be bad, right?

Little they knew that Wisemon's little revelation changed their view on their duty and digital world forever.

* * *

**************December 19th, 1999**

Dinohyumon sighed as he patted his full stomach, laying down on the carpeted floor of his house, Kotemon was doing the same by his side. "Kotemon… Angemon and Takeru go to see that Wisemon again?"

Kotemon nodded," Yes nii-san."

The dragon man digimon snorted, "If I didn't know better I would thing Wisemon have brainwashed them." He rolled to the side, "But knowing Angemon, if any digimon dared to do that they would meet his fist faster than you could say 'digimon' and bite the dust."

The younged digimon shrugged, "Angemon-sensei said… he let Wisemon to teach Takeru, something about school in real world and a shame to leave education behind…" It was a shock of lifetime to see one day Angemon strike an agreement with the infamous Wisemon, respect the villagers had on Angemon was doubled because he could deal with the eccentric guy.

He snorted at that, "Man… sometimes I wonder why that guy acted like a papa wolf on his partner."

Kotemon sweat-dropped at that, "Nii-san, don't let sensei to catch you saying such thing."

"Why?" Dinohyumon grinned, "It's fun to get on that stuffy angel's nerve…" After few months knowing the angel digimon, Dinohyumon had become a very close friend of Angemon. They had a couple of friendly argument once in while, Takeru sometimes commented they looked like Taichi and Yamato.

"You're just bitter that the score between you and sensei now is 24-13 to his favor." Kotemon muttered with a sigh.

Dinohyumon pouted, "Shut up little brother." He could still feel the lump on his head, courtesy of Angemon's staff.

**Meanwhile… **

"Are you sure this is the correct ruin?" Takeru asked for the umpteenth time since they entered the underground secret passage.

Wisemon who was holding the flashlight up huffed, "I am sure Takeru-san! Even if we're not, I am sure it's still a ruin of the fort that once belonged one of Royal Knights members."

Angemon who was walked behind Takeru scoffed, "I recall… we're looking for the leader's fort not random member of royal knights." His deep voice stated with a sigh. "Should we go farther up?"

"We should!" Wisemon agreed wholeheartedly.

The angel digimon eyed the demon digimon with mix of amusement and resignation, "You do know that you looks ridiculous with that flashlight hat right?" It looked odd on Wisemon's clothed head.

"It's practical." Wisemon huffed, "Why don't you wear it Angemon? Then again you're a natural light source on your own."

Angemon rolled his eyes beneath his helmet, holding up his left hand where a flashlight was tied on his wrist. "I am fine with this."

Takeru adjusted his flashlight helmet, it was a bit too big for him so he had to fix it many times. He almost tripped when his left foot bumped on something on the ground. He crouched down and saw a metal holder and a trapdoor made of onyx on the floor. His jaw almost dropped at the sight, "I found a trapdoor!"

Wisemon cheered, "Good job Takeru-san!" Then he turned to Angemon, "This is your chance to shine!" He beamed then added when he looked at Angemon who naturally glowed in the dark, "Not literally of course."

Angemon sighed as he pulled the metal handle of the trapdoor, easily opening the heavy trapdoor and revealed a ladder made of onyx. "It's a pretty big opening, all of us can go in then." He folded his wings so he could move easier in the narrow space, "I will go first, and don't go in before I give you an OK." He said as he jumped in, not bothering to use the ladder at all.

Angemon quickly reached the ground, quickly opened his wings so he hovered above the ground and he lighted his surrounding with his light. It looked pretty safe, smelt damp and very dark. Angemon turned to the left and saw an unlit torch hanging on the wall, not just one but a lot and connected by a thin rope. The tip of his forefingers shone as he shot a beam that lit the torch. Magically the other unlit torch burned one by one, all the way through the passageway.

"It's safe!" Angemon yelled, "Takeru, you go first! I will catch you."

Takeru obeyed and not long he followed his partner down the trapdoor, followed by Wisemon.

"Most of this ruin is made of stone like any other ruin I saw before but I saw a lot of ornaments made of onyx like the trapdoor." Wisemon nodded in approval as he walked through the passageway, "This is undoubtedly the fort of Alphamon-sama, the leader of Royal Knights."

Takeru huffed, "You better be right this time Wisemon! The last time we entered the ruin of Royal Knight's fort you mixed Loadknightmon's with Gallantmon's!"

"I am color blind!" Wisemon retorted, "I mixed the pink with red!" Then he added, "At least the fort smelt like rose."

"Rotten rose you mean?" Takeru muttered with narrowed eyes, "At any rate… Loadknightmon is a strange digimon… the script we found described him as a charismatic warrior, he had a thing for rose and pink…" Takeru scrunched his nose at the last part. "He seems very flamboyant."

Angemon shrugged. "Digimon never cares much about color as much as human do." He had seen how Takeru abhorred pink color, at least when it was put on him. Tailmon thought it was a brilliant idea to dress Takeru up in Hikari's crest color. Takeru ended up with his usual color combination for his new outfit though, green and yellow.

"Human seems to think color matters to gender." Wisemon said thoughtfully, "But then… even if digimon have the same thought about it I doubt anyone would dare to say pink if girly color to Loadknightmon-sama when he was alive. He has a temper…"

Takeru hummed at that, "Speaking of temper… and being a girl." He trailed off, "Hey Angemon, it's been on my mind for a while but…"

"But?"

"Won't Tailmon be so angry at you that we left her in the dark of our whereabouts for the last four months?" Takeru asked innocently to his partner who stiffened at the question.

Wisemon couldn't resist scoring a jab when he saw stricken expression of Angemon, "Way to go Angel-boy, leave your girl in the dark for so long."

Angemon sputtered, "She is not my girl! She is my best friend!"

Takeru raised an eyebrow, "She is still going to be angry at you though."

"Ugh…"

**File Island **

"WHERE THE HELL ARE THEY?!" A certain digital cat monster roared as she punched a palm tree and it collapsed to the lake. "That PATAMON! I told him to come back home as often as possible! But what he is doing now?! No news! NOTHING! For four freaking months!" Neko Punch of Tailmon collapsed another innocent palm tree.

Palmon winced at her fellow plant's demise, "I am sure Patamon and Takeru are busy and they will be back as soon as they could!" The plant digimon assured the fuming Tailmon.

"That's what you said last week, and two weeks ago." Tailmon pointed out irately.

"Well…" Palmon trailed off, at a lost of word to say to Tailmon. Then again she ran out of words to say since forever, Tailmon was in a very BAD mood since Patamon and Takeru were gone for one month without news. Gennai who was clueless as they were about the pair was not helping either.

Agumon watched Palmon trying to pacify the angry Tailmon, groaning when he heard another whimper from Gabumon who sat facing a big rock. There was a cloud of gloom above him, "Takeru…" Gabumon whimpered.

The dinosaur digimon sighed, "I can't choose which one of you are worse, Tailmon who is throwing a tantrum or emoing Gabumon."

Tentomon who was flying near looked at Agumon in confusion, "How do you know what emo is?"

"Taichi called Yamato that sometimes." Agumon informed the ladybug digimon helpfully.

Tentomon nodded as he landed beside the dinosaur looking digimon, "Oh, and by the way, do you think…" He was cut off by the sound of another collapsed palm tree. "Ouch."

"THAT'S IT!" Tailmon stomped angrily, "I am going to look for them!"

"EEH?!" Other digimon partner yelled in shock, Gabumon excluded.

Gabumon who heard Tailmon snapped out of his sulking, "Count me in Tailmon! Me! Me!" He raised his paws like an excited five years old human child.

"YOU CAN'T!" A panicky voice exclaimed as a Mekanorimon emerged from the lake, startling the digimons out of their wits. Gennai hopped off of the machine digimon, yelling at the two digimon that were planning to search for the hope bearers. "It's bad enough those two are missing, we don't need you two to go missing too!"

"OH?! Now you can order us around huh?! Gennai?!" Taimon yelled at the old man,

"I am not ordering you guys around!" Gennai said with an exasperated sigh. "It's just… you don't have to look for them, in two months… they'll have no choice but return to File Island."

Tailmon eyed Gennai skeptically, "Oh? And pray tell why?"

Gennai cleared his throat, "There's a great danger coming to both world... and I am afraid it would be time for you to fight once again."

"So soon?" Agumon croaked sadly, it was not like he was unhappy to fight by his partner's side once again but to think the peace they fought for ended so soon.

"The threat is dormant for now but by the time it strike I will contact digidestined." Gennai announced grandly. "And by the time is right I and the rest of my kind will use every source we have to locate Takeru and bring him and Patamon back." Even if they had to split ocean to find the child of hope.

* * *

**CRACK**

"Do you have to do that to every heavy metal door we find?!" Wisemon yelled at Angemon who knocked a hole on the lock of metal door for the third time since they entered the ruin of Alphamon's fort.

Angemon shrugged, "It's not like you can't put it back together later, it's your expertise…" He said as he pulled the heavy door open.

Wisemon grumbled as he used his telekinesis power to put the destroyed lock back to its former state. "You should handle this precious artifact carefully!"

"Are we there yet?" Takeru asked childishly, "This is the third room we broke into. The last room was a toilet and it smells bad!"

Wisemon sighed, "Well... never expect every excavation will bear fruit. It's a hit or miss matter..."

"So far it's all miss." Angemon grumbled under his breath, "Let's hope what we will find here is not a toilet or worse..."

The room was pitch dark and even with flashlight they brought it was hard to see anything because it was a very vast room. Wisemon whistled, "We may have hit the jackpot, this room is too big for a toilet. Oh! That carving looks marvelous! This must be an important chamber!" The demon digimon said as his flashlight shone on a column made of black marble stone and intricate carving.

"Don't count your chick before it hatched." Angemon advised the excited researcher, "Now... where's the torch line? I don't see anything like one we found on the passageway" Angemon said as he looked around.

Takeru beamed when his flashlight shone on a pedestal made of onyx with a device planted inside of it, "Angemon! Look! I find something better than torch! It's a lighting control device!" They had find the same device in previous ruin and the shape was exactly the same but with different carving and color.

Angemon groaned as he saw the device and Wisemon patted his shoulder, "What are you waiting for? Go for it!"

The angel digimon eyed the note and pen Wisemon pulled out of nowhere with distaste, "How many times I told you?! I am not your research subject!" He said indignantly as he walked to the device Takeru found. Angemon sighed when he saw Takeru was also staring at him with fascination, after doing this a couple of times it should lost its charms or something but both Takeru and Wisemon were still curious whenever he did it. Angemon slipped his right hands under his helmet, there was enough gap for his fingers to slip in. He pulled two cables out, one was blue and another was white. He connected both cable to the device and turned it on.

On Angemon's eyes 'Operation Start' flashed. If he had never find this device he wouldn't realize that his helmet was actually a mini computer. Then again he and Angewomon never had any use for computer in battle , but apparently their helmet could function as a radar, scope, camera and other functions he had not discovered yet. It apparently can be used to operate any computer system in digital world too. A monochrome map appeared on his mind, "I get the map of this fort already... it seems we really hit the jackpot as you said Wisemon."

As soon as he said it the room lighted up and revealed a vast room with numerous columns supporting it. Rows of bookshelves stood on left and right side of the room, save one hallway in the middle where the trio stood. On the wall they could see beautiful carving of history that left by the ancient digimons. The room looked like a grand library, but the architecture was that of medieval, made mostly of silver metal and onyx.

Takeru gasped in awe, "Wow!"

Wisemon was bouncing on his feet like an excited kid in candy shop, "What is this room?!"

"An achieve room..." Angemon answered as he pulled the cable back to his helmet, "The description said this is the room where Lord Aphamon and other Royal Knights keep their record."

Takeru looked around in awe then shot a puppy look to his partner, "Angemon, may I?"

The angel digimon sighed, "As long as you won't touch anything without my permission" The child of hope cheered as he started to explore the room, followed by the equally excited Wisemon. Angemon sighed, half amused and half resigned by their antics. "Why am I the only adult in this group?" He wondered out loud. He shook his head and started to explore too, it was such a waste to not join in after they found what they had been looking for. His eyes were drawn by a beautiful book stand in shape of a cat silhouette. A smile formed on his lips, then his eyes were drawn by another object. This time it was a candle stand, it had a small sculpture of an angewomon dancing ethereally, half of her wings was half furled around a burnt out candle.

He sighed, "I wonder what's Tailmon doing now." Being angry at him most likely.

"Angemon!" Takeru and Wisemon called loudly, drawing the angel digimon's attention. "We find something you should see!"

The angel digimon flew over to where he heard their voice came from, it was a bit hard to pick up where they were with the room made their voice echoing. The computer on his helmet thankfully take care of that problem. He found Takeru and Wisemon looking at a mural, it was much bigger than other mural they had found.

He gasped when he saw what was depicted on the mural, "This is..."

Wisemon trembled in excitement, "At last..." His voice was gleeful and he was definitely in euphoria by their latest find. "At last we find one of the missing piece!"

"No way..." Angemon muttered in a daze.

"Oh yes!" Wisemon cackled gleefully. "We find it Angemon! We find it!" Takeru became silent as he noticed how shaken Angemon was with their latest find. Wisemon however didn't notice as he was too absorbed by the discovery, "At last... we find the mural, the proof of history of what happened in Second Great Digital War! Before the sovereign reigned over this world!"

Angemon shook his head, "No, this can't be... " He raised his voice in panic, it was as if the world just collapsed on him. "This can't be true!"

Wisemon if anything laughed even louder, Takeru inched away from and hugged his partner close as the angel digimon fell on his knees. "Oh yes! This mural tells us the truth! The truth!" The demon man digimon exclaimed gleefully.

**"The true story of the fallen kingdom of Celestial! The fall of Angel digimon from grace!" **

Review Please!

* * *

**That's the third chapter for you!  
**

**As you can see... I think I alter Patamon's personality a bit, but then again it's hard to nail this cute digimon for some reason. Then again considering Angemon's personality and how sometimes Patamon could be cry baby like Takeru (when he was eight) and childish, I can't really pin down the guy so I try to do my best with my own characterization.  
**

**As for why Patamon want to stay as Angemon most of the time and try to keep adult level as his default form, it have nothing to do with my preference before anyone accuse me. There are three reasons,  
**

** 1. It's possible to happen to Tailmon (who digivolved all the way to Tailmon on her own) so why not Patamon?  
2. This story in the future will revolve around angel digimon nature  
3. The main reason is... as said in the story 'they're growing up' and it's just ridiculous to me after all rigorous training and experience in battle he is still a child level digimon, I think Patamon deserve the credit to 'grow up' together with Takeru.  
**

**Note this is not the 'last' time you will see Patamon, he will appear as Patamon again the future... I love Patamon too much to get rid of the cute batpig LOL  
**

**I import some character from other digimon series. Dinohyumon and Kotemon are from Digimon Frontier, but I alter their personality a LOT. Wisemon is from X-ros, I stop watching until around ep 40 something though~  
**

**See you in the next chapter and make sure to check my other stories!  
**


	5. Chapter 4: Conquering The Sky with Hope

**Update on 06-01-13: Fixing timeline since I accidentally forgot two MAJOR events, stupid me!  
-Digimon movie (Our war) said to be happen around 1999-2000 after their departure back to real world. Takeru hold a role in this in my story. Due to many factors I am forced to alter the timeline to suit my needs. The day they left DW in first adventure 'probably' 4th August, according to calculation they made of 'what if' they spent the rest of their summer holiday in DW. Japan's summer holiday ended in 31st August.**

**-May 2000 is when they gave up their crest to revive sovereign according to wiki, but because of my story need to drag the timeline a little bit I will put it on July 2000.  
**

* * *

**(¯ˆ·.¸**Chapter 4: Conquering The Sky with Hope**¸.·ˆ¯)**

**December 19th, 1999**

**BLAM! **

Angemon slammed the door to achieve room with force that more than necessary.

Wisemon eyed the shaken angel digimon with worry; adrenaline was leaving his system once he recorded everything in his book. Before he couldn't read the mood because he was too excited by what they found, but now he felt guilty for being excited while Angemon was frightened. The piece of lost history they had found was definitely something the leader of Royal Knights left behind, an unshakeable proof of what happened in the past. Angemon was wishing to deny that truth, but who could blame him?

It had been on his mind for a while since he met Angemon, but he never voiced it out loud. He had spent years in Byte Island since he found the lost ground of digital world (the reason why he escaped the disaster the last war caused) but long ago he was traveling all over digital world for his research. He was never in contact directly with other digimon unless it was absolutely necessary, but he also observed their civilization and species he had seen. After he met Angemon he was really curious, he had but one question.

Why he never met any angel digimon before Angemon?

It was a very odd fact he just realized. He had found many evidence of history that long time ago Angel Digimon governed this world, they were the laws, wisdom, and merciful sovereigns. There was not much detail about their reign, but it didn't make sense for a digimon species, one that stood on the top of digital world hierarchy so suddenly disappeared overnight. Wisemon knew it was possible for a species to go extinct in real world, but that nature law didn't apply to digital world. Evolution line of digimon was so complex, and the same species of child or baby digimon didn't always digivolve to the same higher-level species. Patamon and Tokomon were not a rare species in digital world, but for some reason he had not seen any of them evolve to angel digimon. Angemon was probably one of the few that left of the sacred species of digimon.

It was a baffling thought.

Wisemon watched Takeru ran to his partner, holding the angel digimon's hand. "We will get to the bottom of this Angemon…" Takeru promised, for once the child of hope was somber. "I will always be with you…"

Angemon looked down at Takeru, a smile formed on his lips. "Thank you Takeru."

"I will help too!" Wisemon raised his hand.

Angemon just laughed softly, "I will count on you too then, Wisemon."

Wisemon nodded sagely, "Can I suggest the first step?"

Takeru and Angemon looked at each other then nodded, "You're the expert in research here, we will go along with your plan."

The demon man digimon hesitated for a moment but steeled his resolve, "We have to…"

**December 23th, 1999**

Takeru suggested delaying Wisemon's plan for a while, he wished to settle something first in Byte Island before they executed the plan. Angemon was shocked when Takeru asked Dinohyumon to announce their real identity to the villagers. The dragon man digimon was skeptical at first but he was willing to oblige in the end because he owed Takeru for saving their world. The reaction from islanders was instantaneous.

Those who have supported digidestined were overjoyed and even planned a feast in their honor. Takeru and Angemon politely turned the offer down. Those who felt replaced by digidestined however, while they didn't wage war had no positive response either from their side. In fact since the earth-shattering announcement, both side was having a silent war. They were already in strained relationship since the war ended but with the news of a digidestined was living among them…

Takeru had had enough and decided to confront the leader of Northern Alliance that formed by digimons who disliked digidestined. Dinohyumon was hysteric but in the end he gave in after Angemon convinced him that the conflict couldn't go on forever. So they ended up meeting in the largest hall in the island, discussing the peace treaty.

"You're really a child…" Grizzlymon, the leader of North Village said wryly.

Dinohyumon smirked, "A child who have saved this world, Grizzlymon." He reminded the bear like digimon.

_Digimon Analyzer: _Grizzlymon_  
Adult level digimon with an appearance of a big dark blue bear with massive claws, though its appearance is ferocious, it possesses the spirit of an honorable martial artist._

Takeru frowned at the two leaders, they were definitely not in good terms. If only this meeting was between them alone the child of hope was sure they would be on each other next in instance. "Dinohyumon." Takeru called, "Please step back, we want to settle this peacefully…"

Dinohyumon grunted but turned his glaring eyes away from the bear looking digimon. "Very well."

Takeru nodded at the dragon man digimon then turned to Grizzlymon, "I have heard of what you and your people think of us… " He began calmly, "All of us came to this world not out of free will… we're called because we're needed. " He muttered, "Back then we fought only because we wanted to survive, but as time passed we started to fight because it's our duty…"

Grizzlymon huffed, "Oh?"

The child of hope held his gaze before he continued, "We have come to love this world…" Takeru closed his eyes, "It's… our second home, and it's no longer the call of duty but love for this world…"

The bear digimon snorted, "Pretty words."

Dinohyumon hissed, "That sincerely said by a child, unfortunately someone that blinded with pride couldn't comprehend it."

Grizzlymon snorted again, "Let them speak for themselves."

Angemon who was watching the exchange frowned beneath his helmet, this was getting them nowhere. He didn't know what urged him, but he could see Grizzlymon was full of doubt. The way this digimon looked at him and Takeru, it was not hate but doubt.

The angel digimon steeled his resolve, "This is getting us nowhere, it seems words alone is not enough for you." He stated sternly, "Then what would make you acknowledge us? Leader of Northern warrior alliance, Grizzlymon?" Even though Angemon had his eyes covered by his helmet the bar digimon could feel the gaze weighing down on him.

As if he needed to be intimidated by the holy digimon, he knew it was a bad idea to threaten the child and he had no intention to do so. He had his pride as a warrior and he would rather give himself a one way ticket to Primary village before he harmed a child. The said child and his friends might had saved the world, but the child of hope shouldn't expect he and his people would grovel before him like Southern alliance did. If the chilld wanted an acknowledgement he had to earn it, respect was never given in Grizzlymon's book.

"Let's cut this short." Grizzlymon said as he waved his paw. "First of all, you and your partner came out of nowhere and claim yourself the hero who saved digital world."

The dragon man digimon snapped, "They did." Dinohyumon growled, "If you ever bother to go down to main land and see what they have done for this world. Do you think that cursed spiral mountain was destroyed on its own?" The warrior digimon scowled.

"Like I care of their past accomplishment?" Grizzlymon challenged back.

Takeru cut him off, "Stop it!" The child was raising his voice, making all digimon that present in the room pause. Angemon looked at Takeru in shock, his partner rarely raised his voice. "I am not here to watch you arguing, but to end this dispute." Takeru took a deep breath, "To tell you the truth I have a choice to keep hiding my identity but I can't stay idle and watch you guys fight because of us and do nothing!"

"…"

Grizzymon was speechless, how could he missed that? The child obviously could keep hiding and off on his own merry way whenever he wanted and left his people and Dinohyumon's quarrelling over their difference but he did not. The child 'cared' about them, that's why he was here and talked to them.

The bar digimon took a deep breath, "Very well." However it was too late to change their opinion overnight, it had ran too deep to just settled this simply because he started to trust the child of hope. But… The least he could do to them was to give a way to this child to proof his worth, and maybe… Grizzlymon grinned inwardly at the prospect of the child of hope succeeding what he was going to throw at him.

The bear digimon cleared his throat then he raised his paw, "I have decided to give you a chance." Takeru perked up at that as he kept listening, Angemon was skeptical and he disliked the grin the bear digimon was wearing. This beast digimon was planning something, Angemon thought. "I will agree to have a peace treaty with Dinohyumon's people IF you can complete 'one' request." Grizzlymon said as he raised one of his claws.

Dinohyumon glanced at Angemon, muttering under his breath that only loud enough for Angemon to hear. "This can't be good pal, this bastard teddy is planning something."

Any other day Angemon would have chided Dinohyumon for his choice of word, but he couldn't help but agree since he was anxious of what Grizzlymon would ask from them. "Let's just see what he wants." The angel digimon whispered back.

The bear digimon grinned, displaying his white sharp teeth. "Here is the deal…"

* * *

**December 24th, 1999**

Angemon shook his mind out of his musing, cringing at the ruined training dummy he had absentmindedly crushed to pieces. "Dinohyumon is going to be pissed." This was the third one he broke this week.

"Angemon-sama!" A scarecrow like digimon with a crow on its hand called the angel digimon, followed by a masked digimon carrying two wooden swords calling his name.

Angemon turned around, lowering his staff and pause from his daily training. "Nohemon, Yasyamon… what's wrong?" He asked worriedly, biting down 'don't call me –sama' since he knew it would fall in deaf ears. He and Takeru had tried to made them drop the honorifics, the villagers insisted they deserved that much respect. Dinohyumon was amused, but Angemon was not.

"We have heard about your decision." Yasyamon muttered hesitantly, "And we think it's… too hasty."

_Digimon Analyzer: _Yasyamon  
_An adult level digimon with white mask covering his face, he wield two wooden sword. He belongs to nature spirit family. _

Nohemon nodded in agreement, "I think so too Angemon-sama!

_Digimon Analyzer: _Nohemon  
_A digimon that looked like a scarecrow, the cunning crow on its arm is his real form, telling lies and other grandiose things are Nohemon's forte. _

Angemon sighed, "It's Takeru's decision… as his digimon I shall support and protect him." He stated sternly, "Regardless how reckless this decision appears, I am too… thinking this is the best way we could take for the good of all of you."

Nohemon and Yasyamon looked at each other then back to the angel digimon, "But Angemon-sama… for our sake?"

He nodded solemnly, "This conflict have to stop soon…"

"But their demand!" Yasyamon growled under his breath, "They're asking the impossible even for you! This is an outrage!"

Nohemon crowed, "Yes! Outrage! They have no right!" Those who supported digidestined were outraged when they received the news of what happened the day before.

"You two." A familiar young voice called from their back, "Calm down."

They turned around and find the child of hope was already fully armed, with backpack slung on his shoulder and two folded golden staff on his belt. "Takeru-sama!"

His blue eyes narrowed at the two digimon, sighing wearily. "This is what I decide for myself and my partner…" His gaze hardened, "No one is going to interfere…"

Angemon nodded to his partner, slowly and steadily they found their next adventure wouldn't be a simple journey to fight evil anymore. "Let's go Takeru…"

"Let's…"

* * *

**Ruin of Baldr**

"This is NOT a good idea." Wisemon wailed as he struggled to catch up with Takeru and Angemon who had walked ahead.

The bearers of hope rolled their eyes inwardly, "Shut up Wisemon." They snapped at the demon man digimon, they usually was very patient with Wisemon's antics but all it was the tenth time he said that line to them since they began the quest.

Takeru sighed, "Sorry for being so short-tempered with you, but the stress was getting me…"

Angemon looked at his partner worriedly, "Takeru… do you think we should… postpone this for another day?" He suggested as his wings fluttered hesitantly.

The child of hope shook his head, "No, we can't delay this any longer… "

The angel digimon couldn't help but gritted his teeth, Takeru was right that they couldn't delay to fulfill Grizzlymon's request. Back then when they were fighting against evil digimon, they just had to defeat them. Their current situation however was not something they could win over with brute power. Backing up now even if just for a slight delay would made them doubted even more by Grizzlymon's fraction.

They had no choice but kept going. "Let's go…" It had been just few days since they had to fight with politic in mind, but Angemon had started to loathe it.

The ruin was different from any other they had explored before, for one it looked like a temple rather than a castle or fort. It was not buried underground either. In fact it was in the middle of the island and looked like an abandoned city. The style of how the record was carved to the wall of this ruin was also different, it reminded Takeru strongly of ancient painting of cavemen. The carving in previous ruin was more elaborate and colorless.

"Is this ruin was built before the second Great Digital War era?" Takeru asked curiously as they walked deeper.

Wisemon shook his head, "No, it was after that… but it was not made by the same civilization." He shrugged, "There's up and down in all civilization… but I guess this mural has its own charm." He said to Takeru who was looking at a picture of colorful bird like digimon with interest.

Angemon crossed his arms, frowning when he saw an obelisk made of alabaster stone. "Takeru, Wisemon…" He called them, drawing their attention to what he was looking. "This can't be good."

Wisemon looked at the obelisk, it had digital world letter carved on it from top to bottom. Both digimon cringed at what they read on the obelisk. "Uhm… yeah."

Takeru squinted his eyes, he was still learning how to read digicode and nowhere as fluent as Angemon and Wisemon but he could read some words. "Uhm… Sea? Wings? Awaken? Curse?" He had to agree that didn't sound so good.

"It's a poem." Wisemon explained, "A warning actually, there's trap all over this place if we proceed. More or less that's what this obelisk said."

Trap was not an unfamiliar thing for them, but that didn't make them less nervous whenever they ran to it. "Is this the only way to go inside?" Takeru asked nervously.

Wisemon nodded, "The obelisk also said this is the only path."

Takeru took a deep breath, "Then we should just face whatever this ruin put us through!"

* * *

**Real World **

"Merry Christmas!" Taichi greeted Sora in the park, which returned by Sora with a grin.

Hikari bowed to the older girl, "Merry Christmas Sora-san."

The bearer of Love crest beamed at Hikari, "Merry Christmas Hikari-chan."

The digidestined had decided to gather in Odaiba Park, a gathering they planned to reminisce digital world. The six older digidestineds were reminded of their brief moment of happiness in File Island, playing snowball and other winter game with their digimon. Hikari who was not with them at the time felt a bit left out, but she hoped she could catch up with what she missed before she joined them.

"Hikari-chan!" Mimi called her, "Let's make a snow lady!"

Koushiro raised an eyebrow at Mimi, "Not snowman?"

Mimi huffed, "No! I want to make something cute!"

Hikari beamed at the older girl as she carefully patted the lump of snow Mimi made, the snow lady in progress the bearer of sincerity claimed it was. "Yes Mimi-san!"

Taichi looked relieved Hikari was happy with this gathering, she was a bit down since Takeru was not around. They were very close, but then again how could they not? They had been through a lot together, but Taichi knew the hardest was when they ordered their digimon to shot their brothers. Taichi and Yamato were scared but Hikari and Takeru's fear of failing must be at least tenfold of theirs. Since then Taichi couldn't help but notice Hikari always stayed close with Takeru whenever she could, even more than to her own brother. Her closeness with Takeru sometimes made her wondered what if she was with them from the start.

Taichi however thought it was very fortunate she was not with them that time, since her digimon was not with the others in File Island. He couldn't imagine sickly Hikari to adventure in digital world without Tailmon. There was also Devimon, Taichi remembered the devil rambling about 'the youngest child' which no doubt was Takeru at the time. If Hikari was with them that time…

The leader of digidestined snapped out of musing when he heard yelp of pain that followed by a groan from Joe and Koushiro. They had snows over them and in tangled limb mess with each other. It didn't take long for Taichi to find the culprit as Mimi and Sora laughed at them. Taichi sighed as he walked toward them, ready to suggest a snowball war so all of them could play together. He paused in mid walk when he saw Yamato sitting on a bench, watching them but it seemed he had no intention to join anytime soon.

Taichi shook his head as he went to Yamato and dragged the blond across the snowfield. He couldn't imagine a Christmas Eve without Hikari but he was sure he wouldn't let Yamato to drown himself in loneliness. He owed Takeru that much.

* * *

**Digital World**

Takeru was well aware today was Christmas Eve and imagined the festive of real world. Children must be playing winter game by now, especially snowball war and ski. He thought he missed that and his family but on second thought he didn't miss the winter game that much.

Not when a giant brass (not snow) ball was rolling down the slope behind him. "What should we do? We can't outrun this ball!" Takeru yelled in panic.

Angemon was carrying Takeru on his back while Wisemon struggled using his telekinesis to float. "I hate this classic trap!" Wisemon wailed.

"So do I!" Angemon couldn't help but agree. He wanted to turn around and destroy it with 'Heaven's Knuckle' but the brass ball was very fast and he couldn't put enough distance to destroy it.

As if he could read Angemon's mind Wisemon scowled, "Forget that plan! We're going to end up as flat as a pancake before you could destroy it!"

Takeru yelled in frustration, "Then suggest something else!"

Wisemon nodded, "There's some space left between the ball and the ceiling, we could squeeze ourselves in that gap!" He suggested, raising a thumb for his genius idea.

Angemon snapped, "And how sure you are that we can fit in?!"

The demon man digimon cringed then looked back for a moment to do a quick calculation, "Uhm… fine, Takeru can fit in but I don't think we could."

"Exactly!" The angel digimon scowled then looked up, "Wisemon, do you think this ruin is sturdy enough? The ceiling?"

He would have raised an eyebrow if he had any at the question, "Uhm… judging from the structure, which supported by so many pillars… I think it's very sturdy. Why?"

Angemon smirked at that then without a word he grabbed Wisemon's hand while his freehand used Heaven's Knuckle to make a hole on the ceiling. "Hang on!" The angel digimon glided to the ceiling's hole as fast as he could, Wisemon yelped in fear as the rolling trap barely missed his toes. "That was close." Angemon muttered as they landed slowly, the ball was already rolling ahead of them.

Wisemon gurgled, "Yeah…" He gave the angel digimon thumbs up, "Nice job in combining our idea though! Crushing and using the ceiling in the same time!"

Angemon rolled his eyes beneath the helmet, "Let's just go to the next chamber." He muttered in tired tone.

Takeru sighed in relieve as he hopped off of Angemon, "This is the seventh trap we passed, how long it will takes until we find the correct room?" He wondered out loud.

Wisemon blinked when he saw another obelisk , the brass ball had ran to it but the ball was crushed in two. "Woah… this thing is not as sturdy as I thought or the obelisk is actually just looked like it made of alabaster but made of stronger material."

He scoffed at that, "Never mind how sturdy this thing is… but I don't like what written on it."

Takeru blinked owlishly at the only sentence he could read, "Congratulation? To You?"

**"Congratulation to you, who did not heed the warning but survive the trials. **

**Go ahead and hope what you find is what you seek. May the wrath of heavenly bird is upon you." **

Wisemon shrugged, "What a sarcasm…"

"Ancient too." Takeru added.

"We're not discussing how sarcastic an ancient digimon could be." Angemon cut in as he pointed at a giant gate behind the obelisk. It looked like it was made of alabaster like the obelisk and reminded Takeru of Stonehenge. "I would rather we discuss that gate."

It was not connected to a room, it was just a simple alabaster rock stacked together like a gate, but the empty space within it looked like rippling silver water. Wisemon gulped, "That doesn't look very safe to go in."

"Have you seen anything safe in this ruin?" Angemon reminded him.

"Regardless…" Takeru trailed off, "We have no choice but keep going."

Angemon nodded but he didn't let any of them to recklessly entering the suspicious gate, so he poked the rippling silver water with his staff. He could feel the surface resist like water; it was heavier like oil though. It felt like he had just pierced a membrane but after this was air, he could tell that much at least. This was getting them nowhere, so Angemon reluctantly lead the way and entered the gate followed by Takeru and Wisemon. What they saw next was a tunnel, but the wall glimmered like ocean under the sun. It was a beautiful sight but for the three of them it was eerie on its own way.

"Don't touch the wall Wisemon." Warned the angel digimon, knowing how curious the demon man digimon, who indeed almost trying to touch the wall surface if not for his warning.

Takeru looked around curiously, for some reason there was some sort familiarity. "Could it be... this is the space between dimension?" Like one they went through when transported to another world?

Wisemon nodded, "It seems like it... but where this tunnel end?"

They didn't know that yet but suddenly as if answering that question the wall of water collapsed and the scenery replaced by a room. They gasped in shock as they took in the view of the giant door before them. The door was like any door was made pf red digizoid, which mean it next to impossible to destroy with brute force. It had carving of golden ding protruding from its side and a basketball sized translucent blue orb in the middle with a line of digicode written on it. Angemon and Wisemon stared incredulously at what written on the orb.

**'Please push this button.'**

Did they think anyone would do that? This was too obvious for a trap! The two digimons thought with a sweat-drop. "Okay." Takeru huffed as he pushed the orb on the door until it sank to the door. The two digimon fell comically as they saw Takeru did as what written on the orb. "There."

Wisemon stood up, his face was full hysteric. "Why did you push it Takeru-san?!" Wisemon cried in horror.

Takeru gave him a dry look, "Because it says 'please push' Wisemon." He answered.

"I suppose it does." Angemon added with a sigh. "I expect something like this from Wisemon."

"Hey!" Wisemon shouted indignantly.

Angemon ignored Wisemon's protest, "But not you Takeru, what if it's a trap?" The angel digimon asked worriedly.

Takeru smiled at his partner, gripping Angemon's rod as he looked up. "We must advanced down whichever path that lies before us and so... we should break through even if it's more or less a trap." The bearer of hope said with determined voice, "But more than anything I have faith in you, Wisemon and myself that we will succeed." Takeru titled his head to the side, cheeks flushed lightly. "It's my hope in you..."

Angemon was silent for a moment before he spoke, "I am at a loss for words... but what do I of all digimon have to fear when I have you with me?" He wondered out loud. The only human in the group just laughed in response.

"I hate to ruin the atmosphere." Wisemon interrupted them, drawing their attention to him and the opening door. "But the door is opening and I can see the inside was shining white, I fear whatever inside is going to blast us to..." Wisemon trailed off as the door fully opened and revealing an unknown creature that was the source of the light.

They blinked owlishly at it which returned by the creature. It had glowing white body with blue marking on its body, which almost hard to see because of its glow. The leg was short with three toes, its arms were as long as its body and there was long curled antennae on its head. There was a silence until the said creature broke to a high pitched squeal and flew around them excitedly.

"Oblivion..." Wisemon finished his sentence, which proofed was unlikely to happen.

They were baffled by the alien creature but it looked happy to see them for some reason. They acted like meeting a long time friend. "This guy is funny!" Takeru laughed when the creature playfully snatch his hat and stuffed its much smaller head on it.

"Careful." Angemon warned his partner, "We don't know this digimon at all." Of if it's a digimon at all.

Takeru smiled as the creature gave his hat back, "Nah, I think this guy just want to play. Maybe it's lonely!"

"It's not lonely!" Wisemon yelled in shock as more and more glowing creature appeared from the room, there was at least ten of them. "What are they?"

Angemon was about to say something to Wisemon for being hysteric too much but he froze when one of the creature touched Takeru's forehead with its long arms. "Takeru!"

Takeru looked a bit dazed for a moment before he smiled at the glowing creature, "So you're a Digignome? Nice to meet you! My name is Takeru!"

It squealed again in response, or rather the high pitched squeal was the only sound the newly revealed Digignome could produce. Angemon was baffled, could it be it spoke to Takeru just now? "Takeru, how do you know the name of this creature?" Wisemon asked curiously.

Takeru rubbed the back of his head, "I am not sure... I think I heard the name in my head when Digignome touched me."

"Are they harmless?" Angemon asked, that was the main concern of his. An unknown creature that obviously not a digimon and capable of telepathy was definitely high in suspicious list.

"They mean no harm!" Takeru assured his partner with a huff.

Digignome squealed as they urged the three to go inside, "This is harmless?!" Wisemon croaked as the group of digital entity pushed him.

Angemon and Takeru tried to resist as Digignome ushered them to move forward, "They're pretty impatient." Angemon couldn't help but commented when one of them started to pull his hand.

Takeru nodded, "What made them so hasty like this?" The bearer of hope wondered and yelped when two Digignomes lifted him up with holding his hands. "Uwaa!"

"Takeru!" Angemon and Wisemon called in panic as they followed Takeru and entered the door and it closed with a booming like sound.

Angemon and Wisemon would have took Takeru back from the digital entities but what they found inside made them pause. There was another corridor with high ceiling an Gothic arch ceiling, line of marble pillar on each side with golden orb on the top of it. The sight of beautiful architecture was the least of their concern as the path or corridor was very narrow, the corridor was wide but the path was only a little bigger than one feet. On both side of the narrow path was deep ravine, or rather an endless one as they couldn't see the bottom but darkness. Digignomes were flying with Takeru right above the narrow path, startling them was definitely a bad idea.

They were snapped out of their thought by Takeru's laughter, "This is fun!" The bearer of hope was looking up in fascination, the arched ceiling must be quite a sight to him.

It seemed Takeru was unharmed and enjoying the ride, Angemon concluded. The digignome just wanted them to move forward as soon as possible, they were harmless like Takeru said. "Takeru, I suggest you keep looking upwards like that!" The angel digimon said as he flew to catch up with his partner, followed by Wisemon who chose to float above the narrow path.

Takeru gulped, resisting the urge to look down. "When you say it like that, I feel like I want to look down." He said honestly, "But I won't."

Wisemon nodded in agreement, "You shouldn't." He agreed, "Just look upwards and admire the magnificent ceiling." He quipped.

* * *

**Real World**

Hikari had walked away from snowball war zone, she could still hear her friends shouting and cheering at each other. It was not like she didn't want to join the game, but something was calling her urgently. She recognized the voice, the same voice that called her when his brother were fighting with Yamato in digital world. The voice of the mysterious digital entity that only could be heard by her. She walked through the pure white ground, going deeper through monochrome forest in winter. Hikari was a bit tired from all the walking and she was relieved to see the sparkling light above a small frozen puddle of water.

"You're looking for me?" Hikari asked, "What can I help you?"

"HIKARI ºooº°**ЮЮЮЮ**º°°º TAKERU o₪₪₪₪₪₪oº°°**ЭЄЭЄЭЄ**°!" The entity replied in a language that had long forgotten, but Hikari heard the language in her own.

"Takeru-kun?" Her eyes widened, "He needs my help?"

They shone brighter for a moment as if displaying their joy that Hikari could understand them, "§s§s§s₪₪₪₪₪º°°º TAKERU¨::¨·..·?"

Hikari nodded, "Yes! I will help him!" The last thing she heard the moment she expressed her will was Taichi's shouting and she fell to the cold and soft ground of snow.

"HIKARI!" Taichi ran to his little sister, cradling her head on his arm. "Wake up girl! Hikari!"

Yamato who followed Taichi when they noticed the youngest digidestined was missing tried to calm the bearer of courage. "Taichi! Stop shaking her! It may do her more harm than good!"

Taichi flushed a deep red, after everything they had been through he was still easily freaked out whenever something happened to his sister. Yamato was right, panicking won't help Hikari. "You're right. Let's go back to our friends, Joe should know what to do." If the oldest digidestined didn't freak first.

As if on cue the rest of digidestined could be seen in the distance, running towards the two. "Oi! Yamato! Taichi!"

Joe was the first to approach them, just the man Taichi was looking for. The leader quickly motioned to his sister and Joe thankfully didn't panic and check on the younger child. He checked her pulse and breathing, raising an eyebrow when he found out the problem. "Taichi, Hikari-chan is okay... she is just... sleeping."

Taichi and Yamato gaped at him, "I tried to wake her up, and she won't wake up! Hikari is a light sleeper, and it doesn't make sense she suddenly decide to sleep here!"

Yamato nodded in agreement, "Yeah! No matter how sleepy Hikari-chan is, I don't think it's normal she was suddenly just fell asleep like that!"

Joe shrugged, "But she _really _is sleeping, a deep sleep. At the moment there's nothing we can do but move her to a warm place so she won't catch a cold."

They couldn't argue with that.

* * *

**Digital World **

"Whiiiiiiiiie!"**  
**

"They're happy." Wisemon pointed out as Digignome bounced in the air as if they were high in sugar.

"WHIIIIIIIIIIIEEE!"

"Very happy." The demon man digimon corrected.

Takeru and Angemon rolled their eyes, "We can see that." They deadpanned. "But why?" They chorused.

Wisemon shrugged, "Because soon they're going to have a big feast, now they're preparing a bonfire to cook us with barbeque sauce and they will dance around it as singing Indian song."

Angemon and Takeru stared at the demon man digimon, "I think Wisemon is having a breakdown." Takeru pointed out helpfully, "So, we're going to press this button or not?"

There was an identical door with one they found before, including the 'press this button' writing. Wisemon was getting tired of the lack of epicness of they exploratio, first was the classic trap then the 'please push' button. They never saw Wisemon sulked this bad that he even spouting Digignome is secretly planning to eat them. "I didn't see another door so this is the only path, since the first proofed to be harmless." At least they thought so, "Let's just push it and be done with." Angemon said as he pushed the button, revealing another door but unlike the first it had mirroring carving of knight crossing swords, and a keyhole on the center.

Takeru blinked, "We need a key." Digignome squealed as it dropped something on his hand. "Oh thanks!" Takeru thanked the digital creature then stared quizzically at the object they put on his hand. It was a key, a very old gold colored key judging from scratches and fading digicode on it.

Angemon sighed, "How convenient..."

Wisemon roared, "That's all you gotta say?!" He turned sharply at Takeru who inserted key and turned it, "Takeru! You didn't find this suspicious at all?!" This time they could hear mechanic sound clicking and turning as the door opened, revealing a gigantic room that left them spechless.

The room was dome shaped with a golden orb on the center of its ceiling, twelve wings protruding from the orb ans stretched like an arch all the way to the ground. The ground had metalic surface, almost mirror like as they could see slightly blurred reflection on the ground. There was golden ring with digicode on the ground, five of it in cross shaped formation. It reminded Takeru of the ring on HolyAngemon's Heaven's gate but the digicode was definitely not the same. There was a tear shaped device in the middle with two wing carved on each side, it had a padding in the middle that may functioned as a seating. a golden orb floating in front of it, the orb also had wings and curled spiral like cloth below it.

** "****°ºo****Yasra dius manaf yasra dius manaf**oº° _Oh precious life, rest in peace" _Wisemon read the digicode on the center circle out loud, startling the bearers of hope. "Are we really going to do this?" He asked in worried tone, "I don't like to think who it was referring to 'rest in peace' and it's a reckless idea to begin with." Then he heard a loud booming sound, the door was closed and those digignomes were nowhere in sight. "Great! Now they leave us to root here!"

Takeru looked at Wisemon with a raised eyebrow, his eyes narrowed in determination. "We're already too far to back down now, and I want to..." He looked up, "I want to fulfill their hope in me." He said as he walked to the center of the room followed closely by his partner.

"Takeru..." Angemon called him, "I'll be with you in this."

Takeru grinned at that, "Of course!"

Wisemon sighed as he watched the pair placed their hands on the orb, "I will be where I am in case I need to drag your sorry asses from whatever mess you potentially put yourself in." He said, ignoring Angemon's shout about his choice of words. "Just so you know, if something happen to you and Takeru. I am going to skin Grizzlymon, he will looks lovely in front of my fireplace."

Angemon and Takeru looked at each other then turned to Wisemon with a wide grin on their face, "Thanks Wisemon."

"For skinning Grizzlymon?" He deadpanned.

They shook their head, "No, for being here with us."

Wisemon flushed a deep red, he cleared his throat loudly. "That's what a friend for."

Angemon and Takeru nodded before they returned to the task in hand. They had been told there was a control device they had to activate, and one they found in the room was identical to what Grizzlymon describe. How the device would work was a bit vague, but the purpose was clear.

"Ready?" Takeru asked his partner as he took out his digivice.

Angemon nodded, "Yes."

"Now!" And together, they channeled their power to the orb as it shone brighter and brighter. They could hear Wisemon shouting in the distance, telling them to stop. They would have done so if they could, but they couldn't as they felt the orb was sucking all their power. And the next thing they embraced was endless darkness.

* * *

**Starhill**

**"What is that child have done?"** Azulongmon's regal voice echoed through the sky with horror.

Gennai who was called by Azulongmon scampered on his knees, "What happens to Takeru?!" He asked worriedly, this was the first time he saw the azure dragon of the east looked so panic.

Azulongmon's long body slithered through the cloud, he looked up to the sky. **"He has awakened a terrible being... the ruler of the sky, Ornismon."**

Gennai paled at the name, that was ancient digimon that terrorize the sky of digital world long time ago. He never saw the digimon in person, not even the Sovereign had since they were born after the ancient digimon was sealed. "What should we do?! Why Takeru did such thing?!"

The ruler of east quadrant closed his eyes, **"I am merely the guardian for Child of Hope, I possess next to nothing authority upon his action... as much I want to protect him. There is nothing I could do to help him in my current state." ****  
**

"What should we do now milord?" Gennai asked worriedly.

**"We could only _hope."_**

* * *

**Byte Island_  
_**

Earthquake was something alien to islanders of Byte Island since they were living in a floating island, you could imagine how panicked they were when the ground was not only shaking but had started moving. Dinohyumon and Grizzlymon who were waiting for Takeru and the other who returned on the entrance of the ruin staggered as they planted themselves firmly on the ground to avoid falling to their death. It was a miracle their village had not fallen apart, they took pride in their architecture after all. The minimum damage aside they could tell this was a disaster with a capital D, and it's going to get worse.

Dinohyumon glared at Grizzlymon who was hugging the other side of the huge rock they were clinging on. "I swear, once I can let go of this rock I will skin you alive!"

The bear digimon glared at Dinohyumon, "Can you shut up?! Our island is shaking and I think it starts to tilt!"

"Whose idea to wake up the 'guardian god' of this island?!" Dinohyumon wondered out loud sarcastically, "It's an old myth! We don't know it's true or not! And you dare to ask Takeru and Angemon to wake IT up!"

Grizzlymon flushed, "This is not the time to curse me lizard!" Then his eyes widened in horror, "Oy, since when our island have wings?!"

Dinohyumon stared at him as if the bear digimon was growing second head and it spoke Swahili. "What nonsense you're sprouting? This is an island and not a..." He turned to look at direction Grizzlymon was pointing at and his jaw dropped. "Bird... What the hell?!" A pair of gigantic wings protruding on each side of the island, each wings was colored in ultramarine, green and light purple. The wingspan of each was at least one hundred meters or more. It's flapping created gust of wind which thankfully not blowing anything on the island but cloud surrounding the island had dispersed.

Grizzlymon and Dinohyumon came to a terrifying conclusion about the truth of the supposed guardian god of their island. "This island... it can't be..." Grizzlymon muttered in disbelief.

Dinohyumon let out a sarcastic laugh, "Takeru and Angemon succeed, they have revived our 'guardian' god as you wish!" The dragon man digimon snorted, "Like hell it guards us! That monster is sealed here! And this island is on top of its BACK for heaven's sake!"

"What should we do now?!" Grizzlymon asked frantically.

"Fight it?!" Dinohyumon asked in mocking tone, "HOW?! In case you didn't notice it's freaking HUGE and we're riding on it! If we fight it, we're going to fall to our death!" He shook his head, "Just hug the rock and enjoy the ride, Teddy bear!"

"Sarcasm is not going to get you anywhere Dinohyumon."

The dragon man asked in deadpan tone. "Do I look like I want to go anywhere?!"

"Point."

**CRACK!**

"Now what?!" Dinohyumon asked to no one when they heard a loud crack and suddenly something erupted from the ground.

Thanks to their reflex as a warrior digimon both of them managed to get away when a pillar erupted from the ground and when they landed on the ground it was not a rocky surface but white metalic floor. They found themselves was in a circular terrace circling the massive pillar and it was going higher and higher. "What do you know... sarcasm get me somewhere I don't like!" Dinohyumon wailed.

"Shut up! The tower! Look at that!" Grizzlymon yelled as he pointed at the four towers surrounding a larger one. They were on the largest.

Dinohyumon gaped when he saw the tip of the four tower crackled and a beam of light connected the four towers. The rectangle beam of light slowly spun and became a circle and slowly rose like a halo. The two warrior watched in confusion as the halo slowly formed a translucent dome shaped barrier that enveloped the whole byte island. Whether this was a good thing or not they had no idea.

* * *

Wisemon watched a live play of what happened outside from a giant monitor that suddenly appeared out of nowhere. The room was also suddenly rose from the ground and now they were on the top of a tower. Apparently the room was some sort of control tower and the device was a seal to wake up Ornismon. The ancient digimon was big, or rather bigger than what he read from myth, according to myth the digimon's wingspan was only thirty meters. It was by no means a small digimon, but one that supported this island was gargantuan. It was possible for one digimon to be much larger than normal for their species, but this one was at least ten times bigger than the normal one. He also could see a dome shaped barrier enveloping the whole island. This couldn't be happening, this island... no it was NOT an island! It was a...

'Battle Ship!'

It made sense, this was the home of digimon warriors. It simply made sense if the floating island was actually a giant floating fort that could move, Ornismon was the ship itself! Ornismon that depicted in old myth might be the children of this giant one, he could imagine the normal sized one was used to support air force in war. The buildings in the island were miraculously intact, Wisemon guessed that because all of the islanders built their house the way their ancestor did. It was fortunate because it seemed the buildings in the island were designer to withstand a rough flight.

That was the least of his concern now, his friends were out cold! "TAKERU! ANGEMON!" Wisemon shook the unconscious bearers of hope, but much to his frustration they even didn't move. Takeru looked pale and his breathing was erratic. They had just woke a dormant ancient weapon up, for heaven's sake!

His eyes widened in horror when Angemon shone briefly and de-digivolved to Patamon then to Tokomon. Wisemon quickly ran through a gross calculation of what happened in front of him. Takeru and Tokomon fainted, and the digimon de-digivolved to baby form. Whatever happened had severely depleted their power. Digimon naturally was not capable to revert to their lower form of evolution, some does turned to digiegg but only in a very special circumstance after the said digimon achieved certain level of divinity. It seemed that was not the case to digimon with human partner.

Wisemon stood up then banged the door behind them, "OPEN UP! OPEN UP! DIGIGNOME! I know you guys are there! I swear! If something happen to my friends I will dissect you without anesthesia!" His friends were dying! And he could do nothing! Much to his relieve the door opened and revealing a flock of digignome carrying a transparent girl with them, unlike digignome her light was pink. "Who?!"

The girl of light ignored Wisemon as she ran to Takeru and Tokomon, her eyes were wide with worry. Her hand shone briefly as she held Takeru's hand in hers, her aura slowly seeped through Takeru and Tokomon. Wisemon held his breath when he saw Takeru's erratic breathing calmed down and color returned to his face, Tokomon digivolved back to Patamon then to Angemon. The girl sighed in relief and gasped when she saw her became more transparent and Digignome grab her hands. She said something to the digital entities, begging to them to not take her away from the bearers of hope. Digignome shook their head then their body shone, brighter than her light and engulfed her. Wisemon sank to his knees when he saw the girl was no longer with them and Digignome retreated back to the previous room, leaving the three of them alone once again.

Takeru and Angemon let out a soft groan as they struggled to stand, Takeru blinked owlishly at their surrounding. "Hikari-chan?" She was here! He could feel her presence, but she was no longer here. He looked at his right hand, he could feel her lingering warmth and light was still with him. "Thank you Hikari-chan!"

Wisemon cried as he launched himself and hugged the dumbfounded pair, "I thought you were going to die! Don't scare me like that anymore!"

Angemon pry the demon man off of him as he watched the monitor, the islanders were in panic as Ornismon was giving them a free roller coaster ride. Thankfully the bird digimon had not thinking of somersaulting or anything alike, it seemed the ancient digimon was confused and panic. "Is that Ornismon?!"

Takeru's eyes widened, "It's huge!"

"Never mind it! We have to get out of here!" Wisemon suggested frantically. "The room is not collapsing or anything but as you can see." He pointed at the wall which had turned to glass and showed that they were in the highest point in Byte Island. "Staying here is not a good idea!"

Angemon shook his head, "The device is here! We should try to reseal Ornismon!"

"It almost got you and Takeru killed!" Wisemon argued back, "If not for that girl, you would have dedigivolve to egg!"

"We can't do nothing! There must be some way to get out of this mess!" Angemon snapped.

Wisemon rolled his eyes, "Like what?! We can't fight that thing! We're on top of it, if we harm it the whole island would collapse!"

Takeru looked at the controller orb determinedly, "Can we calm it down?"

"Huh?!" The two digimons chorused in confusion.

Takeru hopped to the egg shaped chair, holding the orb on his hands. "When I touched this before, I heard someone crying! I am sure it's Ornismon!"

Wisemon stared at the bearer of hope in disbelief, "It cried?! That giant bird?!"

Angemon nodded in agreement, "I heard it too, it... I mean she sounds so sad."

"It's a SHE?!" Apparently the new revelation that the bird was a she was a socking one to Wisemon.

Takeru nodded, "I don't think she absorbed our energy on purpose." He began his explanation, "This device is meant to be used to connect with her... since we want to wake her up it granted our wish."

"And use our power to wake her up." Angemon finished, "Whoever created and used this device in the past must be a very powerful entity..."

Takeru nodded again, "If we can use this to talk to her... to calm her down. She must be confused and scared, suddenly waking up like that..." Takeru closed his eyes, concentrating as he trailed his hand over the orb followed by Angemon..

Wisemon sighed, "I can't believe you touch that thing again..." He would have stopped them, but from his short time knowing them Wisemon knew he was powerless to stop his stubborn friends. "And as I always... I will be here with you. Don't expect me to let you touch that thing for the third time if you collapse again!"

Angemon and Takeru just smiled in reponse, they turned to focus on the orb and they heart reached out to connect once again to the orb. Takeru suddenly felt a familiar warmth on his chest, a voice whispering to his ears. Angemon, his partner was talking to him. None of them spoke but they could hear each other thought. Takeru wondered if this was what Digimon felt when they digivolve and gained the wisdom of their higher level form. Ancient voice whispering in their mind, urging them to speak out.

Takeru didn't know who spoke, but then he realized it was him and Angemon who spoke in chorus. **"**_Can you hear my voice? The voice that is calling out to you?"_

_**Yes, I can hear your voice! **  
_

The voice that responded to them was sorrowful and full of loneliness, it saddened them greatly and almost rendered them speechless. "___Are you feeling afraid? Lonely? Hatred?_" They asked.

**_Yes, I'm feeling afraid! I am lonely! I am feeling hatred! I am chained!_**

_"What is the reason of your pain?"_They asked, Takeru's mind reeling as the foreign sentence passed his lips. **  
**

_ **What is the reason of my sadness?****  
**__If I tell you__. __What would you give me?_  


_"Please, show me your true self." They begged, "And we shall fill your heart with hope, open your heart... for us."_

___****__I have fully opened myself_  
_Inside the cage, my wings were cut by the chains_  
_Warm embrace had been taken from me,_  
_And I was betrayed by the world_  
They took my 'master' away from me  


Takeru gasped when he felt wrenching sadness flowing through, this must be Ornismon feeling. It triggered his memory of when his parents divorced and separated him with Yamato and his father. A memory of when someone precious was taken away from your life, your scream and plead went unheard and you became the loneliest person in the world. _"I... __I understand you_." ___**  
**_

___"You and me are much alike..." _They chorused. 

_****__This hope you promised for me... What would that mean to me?_  


_____''__Unification, coexistence, harmony with the other digimon.'' _Takeru and Angemon answered,_____ "You will be no longer lonely, islanders of this island shall be your friends and comrade."  
_

___I will never be alone? _  


___"If you wish to accept them and let them to your heart..." _

_____****__Will they love me? Will they be my friends?_  


___ "Your feeling will be returned. They love this island, this is their home and you who protect this beautiful land shall be loved too...__" _Takeru was sure the islanders would have accepted Ornismon with open arms, after all the ancient digimon was the one who gave them a place to call as their home._****__  
_

_____****__Will you cherish me like my master did?_

Unlike her previous sorrowful voice, Takeru could almost perceive Ornismon as happy with a hint of excitement as she asked the question. _'Of course... I will cherish you as a friend..." _He promised. Ornismon let out a thrill of joy and slowly her flight came to a halt, the ancient digimon had calmed down as her flight became less erratic. The islanders could be seen in monitor, they had managed to regain their footing. Some of them ran around to organize the civilian from panicking, it seemed no one was injured badly and the worse happened was just heart attack and panic. Takeru sighed in relief as he watched Dinohyumon and Bearmon tried to climb down the tower. ___  
_

**What's your name little one? **

Takeru and Angemon smiled, they managed to avoid disaster peacefully. Takeru looked up, the monitor now was showing Ornismon's head and he cold her thrilling a beautiful song. "My name is Takeru."

**Takeru... T.A.K.E.R.U? **

"YUP!" Takeru grinned from ear to ear.___  
_

___**I can feel your power is the one that arouse me from my slumber...  
This is hope... you're the child of hope... **  
_

It elated Takeru when Ornismon let out another thrill of joy, her voice was beautiful and soothing. "I am glad you're happy..." ___**  
**_

**I am sorry for panicking, it's not my intention... I am just upset. I wake up and feel so alone...  
O, mighty warriors of the land... forgive me **

They just realized Ornismon's voice was not heard only by them but the rest of the islanders, they looked confused at first but cheered. Takeru could see in the monitor that Dinohyumon was shouting. "That's one rough flight! But hey! We can work with that!"

"Since we've been living in your back for years." Grizzlymon trailed off, "I guess ten minutes of rough flight is not that bad, just give us a little warning next time." He added in a dazed tone, no doubt he was still in shock.

Dinohyumon grinned from ear to ear, "But don't you think this is awesome?! Our island...eh... whatever it is now, you can move! It would be an honor to defend our world by your side... I mean, on top of you!"

"That sounds so wrong!" Grizzlymon roared at Dinohyumon.

"No one ask you Teddy!" He snapped.

Angemon sweat-dropped, "I wish they stop arguing when stuck like that at least..."

_**Child of hope, I wish for your guidance from now on.  
Will you grant me your blessing? **_

Angemon felt something jolt in his chest, he couldn't tell why but that request sounded familiar somehow. Dinohyumon looked confused, like the rest of the islanders. Grizzlymon however was grinning from ear to ear, that can't be good. "Takeru, something is..."

Takeru beamed, "Yes, I will help you in any way I can!" He thought the request was a bit weird, but he was too happy to think twice about granting Ornismon's request. What the harm of a little blessing anyway?

_**Takeru, the bearer of crest of hope  
Partner of Angemon, angel of hope.  
Application processed... **_

Wisemon who had been quiet for a while shouted, "Takeru! What did you just give her a yes for?"

"Eh?" Takeru almost jumped. "I am just... "

Angemon looked up, his eyes widened beneath his helmet. "Look! Takeru, the orb on the ceiling! Our crest is inside it now!"

"On that control device too!" Wisemon pointed out.

Takeru looked up, the golden orb now had yellow shooting star that shaped like a key hole on it. It was his crest, but how it got there? "How?"

"Not how!" Wisemon snapped, "What's happening! Oi! Ornismon! What're you doing?!"

_**Initiate coronation... sequence, completed...  
Initiate**_** _purification_**

There was a blinding light coming from the bottom of the land, Takeru closed his eyes and he could hear a feminine voice shouted._  
_

_**Ornismon Slide Evolution!  
**__VALDURMON!_  


_Digimon analyzer: Valdurmon  
Holy Bird Digimon. It is a mythical Digimon that inhabits the stratosphere 40,000 m up in the sky. It possesses six gigantic wings, that could envelop the sky of digital world. According to legend it is the guardian of the sky, an ancient Digimon that has existed since the creation of the Digital World. Its feathers normally emit the holy light of its "Purge Shine**  
**_

_"_She digivolved?" Takeru muttered in awe as he looked at the ethereal form of Valdurmon.

"Slide evolution..." Wisemon corrected, "It's a rare ability for a digimon to switch their form of the same level, this ability have been long gone for centuries from digital world." He explained, equally in awe at the six winged holy bird digimon. "Or she is just changing her form to suit your crest Takeru. After all... Hope is a crest with holy nature..."

Angemon crossed his arms, "Is this means she is partnering herself to Takeru?" He didn't know what to think to have another digimon partnered with Takeru, not to meantion an ancient one and a mobile fortress at that.

Wisemon shook hie head, "I don't think so... judging from what she said about coronation, application and stuff I doubt she is even a normal digimon... and Takeru.." He turned to the confused child, "I think you just signed yourself up for something big."

"Huh?!"

**_Application Completed! _**

Suddenly the dome opened, blooming like a crystal flower and the orb hovering above them. Angemon and Takeru suddenly felt all attention was on them, in fact the dome shaped barrier that formed before hand now had many screens appeared out of thin air. All of them were broadcasting the top of the tower, Takeru and Angemon never felt so exposed in their life.

_**Rejoice O, mighty warriors!  
A new master of the land have been chosen.  
All hail Takeru, the child of hope!**_

_**All hail his protector, Angemon!  
May they lead us to glory and everlasting peace!**_

For a moment the islanders were silent as they were dumbfounded that Valdurmon suddenly announced Takeru was to be the master of the land. Was that mean the child of hope was their master? Lord? King? How was that happening now? They were confused but that dispersed the moment Grizzlymon of all people, shouted at the top of his lung.

**"All hail OUR LORD!" **Grizzlymon turned to the dazed Dinohyumon,** "What are you waiting for Lizard? Hail our LORD!" **

Suddenly everything clicked on his mind, so this was the reason the crazy bear insisted on this mission of waking up their guardian god?! He had heard about the guardian god was the one who choose the lord of the land, but he thought that was just an old myth. There was some truth in that old tale after all. He grinned, he never thought he would like what was on Grizzlymon's mind but it was a splendid idea! Takeru and Angemon would be unhappy later, but hey! Who cares? He could worry about Angemon whooping his ass later! They got a lord to serve now! Finally!

**"Valdurmon! The guardian of our land have chosen Takeru as our new LORD! All hail Takeru! The child of hope!" **Dinohyumon shouted at the top of his lungs as he raised his sword.

**"May he lead us to glory and everlasting peace!" **Grizzlymon added.

Wisemon stared at the two sword rival and then to Angemon and Takeru, they were taken back the moment the whole island start to cheer, raising their claws and weapons.

**"TAKERU-SAMA!"**

**"ANGEMON-SAMA!"  
**

**"OUR LEADER! OUR LORD! ALL HAIL TAKERU-SAMA"**

Wisemon sighed as he patted their shoulder, offering them a comforting squeeze. "I think you've been hoodwinked." He summarized their situation perfectly, "By all islanders... and the 'island' herself." He gave them another comforting shoulder pat. "Good luck milord. You will need it." **  
**

Angemon snapped out of his reverie, "THEY DID WHAT?! DINOHYUMON! GRIZZLYMON! You guys are DEAD to me!"

Takeru blinked, "Angemon."

"Yes, Takeru?"

"Uhm... Why am I a king now?" He wondered out loud.

Angemon face-palmed, "I wish I know."

* * *

**Real world**

"Digital world OPEN! OPEN SESAME! DAMN IT! OPEN FOR ME!" Yamato roared to the poor and innocent laptop of Koushiro.

Koushiro sighed, Yamato had been trying to open the gate since Hikari wake up and frantically searching for Takeru. Apparently Hikari was borrowed again by the mysterious entities that possessed her back then. Hikari claimed she somehow found herself in a corridor and then a giant dome with Takeru and Tokomon. She said the child of hope was suffering, she somehow healed him but now she had no idea if he was still okay or not. She was so worried that she cried on Taichi's chest until she fell asleep.

"Yamato, could you please stop harassing my laptop?" Koushiro asked worriedly, in normal circumstances he was protective of his laptop but he was too scared of Yamato to pry the laptop off of him.

"Koushiro!" Yamato turned sharply to the child of knowledge, "Open this thing! NOW!"

Taichi had enough, "He would have, if he could Yamato!"

"You can't understand! You have your sister with you!" Yamato snapped.

Taichi gritted his teeth, "You're not the only one who want to check on Takeru, to make sure he is OK! My sister cried herself to sleep! Mimi, Sora and Joe were freaking out! Koushiro let you to use his laptop! I am also worried! In case you forget, he is like a brother to me! When you're not around in digital world, I am the one who take care of him in your place!"

"..." Yamato flinched, "I am sorry..."

Taichi sighed, "I know you're worried but as long as the freaking gate is closed there's nothing we can do." Then he smiled, "But do you forget? What's left when there's nothing you could do? Keep trying and..."

"Hope." Yamato grinned, "Takeru is always the one who save us when everything fail... Devimon, Vamdemon, Piedmon... "

"Yup!" Taichi patted, "For all we know Takeru is bouncing with energy after my sister gave him a power boost."

Yamato laughed at that, "I can imagine that, my brother is always full of hope... and as always when everything fail."

"We could always hope..." Taichi finished for him and they laughed together, leaving the forgotten Koushiro to sneak out with his precious laptop.

Review Please!

* * *

**And so! At last! I finish the most difficult chapter ever! Sadly no Ryo as planned! **

**Whatever... I get this done and better than I thought it would! ALL HAIL ME! AND TAKERU!  
**

**A little Takari at last, hope it's good enough!  
**


	6. Chapter 5: Reaching to Hope

** At any rate I have to warn you that you may not really like this jumpy chapter since there would be a lot of time skip but it's needed so we can start on 02 adventure by the next chapter.  
**

**Please Note that my story did not follow the game, so Ryo's story is completely different too.  
**

**One note that the ancient language is taken from Ar tonelico called Hymmnos, it cross my mind to make my own language but it's too much work so I just borrow it~ Not to mention it's conveniently a language for song and magic so it's a bonus. If any of you completely understand hymmnos, help me :)  
**

**[[bla bla bla]]** hymmnos  
_meaning _

**Now the story! **

* * *

**(¯ˆ·.¸Reaching to Hope¸.·ˆ¯)  
**_A Brief Reunion and Distancing Hope**  
**_

Angemon flexed his fingers, dusting his slightly dusty hand in regal manner worthy of an angel digimon. Wisemon sighed as he looked at the battered Dinohyumon and Grizzlymon in the corner. They looked worse to wear, with so many bump in their head. Wisemon sighed again as he went through gross calculation of how many brain cell was killed in their muscled head. If there was any to begin with, he added thoughtfully. Then again it was mostly their fault Takeru was involved in this mess. Angemon was not happy when the two of all digimon encouraging all islanders to hail his partner as their new lord. Dinohyumon was a close friend of Angemon, he should know how protective Angemon was to Takeru. The angel digimon didn't hold back at all when the two warrior digimon bravely submitted to his fury. Wisemon couldn't choose between dumb or chivalrous, he was leaning toward the former to describe them. Angemon even didn't use his staff at all, something about it was more satisfying to use your own fist.

The demon man digimon crouched down beside the battered warriors, "You know this is going to happen right?" No answer but pained groan as response, it would be a while until these two would be coherent, but they would live. He turned to Angemon, "You know my dear friend, they already have so little brain cell to begin with if they dare to pull this kind of stunt on Takeru under your nose." Wisemon drawled wryly, "Do you have to decrease that already miniscule number?"

"There's no way they could become stupider than they already are." Angemon replied calmly.

Wisemon shook his head, "I don't think so, the reason why there's nothing in this world that 'idiot proof' is because someone will just make a better idiot." He pointed with a wave of his hand, "There's a limit of how knowledgeable someone could be, but there's no limit in idiocy."

"..." Angemon sweat-dropped at that, "Sounds like speaking from personal experience to me."

Wisemon shrugged, "Like you would ever believe what I have seen..." He was once come across of a dimension where a racoon could survive in space because it was too stupid to remember that breathing need oxygen. There's that one incident with primitive era squirrel and chestnut.

Angemon shrugged at that, "How is Takeru doing?"

"Fine... he is doing quite well considering he was thrown to a pack of enthusiastic Seamstressmon." Wisemon listed on, "Giving speech to a bunch of battle maniac digimon, going through a feast in his honor, etc." He finished the list. "It's not even the last of it, tomorrow is the day he announced 'that' so he should be resting now. I think you better go to accompany him. A gigantic room like that prone to make one lonely when not used to it."

"..." He sighed a lot today, then again too many things happened in the last few days but it turned out well even though not the best. "I will, and please bring these two to medical ward."

Wisemon chuckled at that, "Of course."

* * *

Angemon had been looking for Takeru since the child of hope was not in his bedroom. He wondered where his partner could have been. After looking for almost one hour Angemon found his partner sitting in his throne room, the same dome shaped room that located on top of the tower. It seemed Takeru was speaking with Valdurmon again, the angel digimon concluded. It must be about 'that' Takeru would announce tomorrow.

Takeru beamed when he saw Angemon entered the room but quickly turned his attention back to the orb. "Takeru, there you are..."

The child of hope grinned sheepishly as Angemon stood beside the throne, "Hi Angemon, I still couldn't decide a good one."

"That's no reason to stay awake so late, a human child your age need all rest they could get." The angel digimon said as he playfully gave his partner a flick on the forehead.

Takeru pouted, "But it's important! Everyone is anticipating a new 'name' for this island." Angemon groaned at that, since the land now had a new master Valdurmon requested Takeru to give it a new name. The name 'Byte' was not an actual name of the island, the true name given by the previous lord had long lost in history and Valdurmon deemed it prudent to be kept that way.

Valdurmon let out a short trill in response, **_"This one couldn't suppress her joy milord, tomorrow would be the day you gave us a name to mark your reign in this land..." _**

"Actually..." Takeru trailed off, "I don't really have a flair in naming things."

Angemon coughed as slightly blurry memory before he could digivolve to adult level crossed his mind, he was really peeved about the pig and hippopotamus shaped digimon Takeru imagined would be his next level. What was their name again? Tabunkonnamon (It's probably like this Mon)? Or was it Porkymon? There was also KittokonnaMon (It must be like this mon) something. He didn't really want to remember it. Considering Takeru's naming sense it's possible this island is going to be named 'Pata Pata Torijima' or other overly descriptive name.

Pata: sound of flapping wing, Tori:bird, Jima: Island (Flapping Bird Island)

"I am bad at naming things." Takeru intoned. His aesthetic sense was a bit... dull too, Angemon added mentally. Not that he was insulting Takeru, in fact Takeru himself admitted he had next to nothing aesthetic sense. Angemon mentally took note on that, according to Wisemon, art was also important in human education.

**_"I am sure you can come up with an appropriate name, it is a very important thing in digital world."_**Valdurmon said as she broke to another beautiful trill. **_"In a name, there's hope." _**

"Hope?" Takeru echoed.

Angemon smiled at that, "Giving a name is not just to define individuality but also an awakening, a ceremony, a rite to one's worth." He titled his head to the side as he crouched a little so he was face to face with his partner, "Giving a name is like breathing life Takeru." The angel digimon said as he give a gentle pat to his partner's shoulder.

Takeru titled his head to the side, he remembered that he ever asked his father why they were named Yamato and Takeru. Hiroaki said they were named after a hero and left it at that, something about story of historical figure was not for kid. "Hum... then Angemon, if a name is so important... why all digimon from same species called with the same name?"

"..."

**_"... Oh that's because all digimon was born with one 'true' name."_**Valdurmon explained, **_"Usually one of the same species know each other true name, rarely disclosed to outsider of one's species but if they have close enough bond it's possible." _**

"So Angemon have another name?" Takeru's eyes widened at that.

Angemon looked uncomfortable for a moment before he schooled his face, "I don't really know... after all I and other digimon partner were raised together, since we were born we were waiting for you and have next to no contact with our kin. We're a bit different..."

**_"This Valdurmon think that make sense..."_**Valdurmon chirped.

Takeru titled his head to the side, recalling Yokomon that lived in one village. "Hm... " What kind of village Angel digimon would live in? On second though angel and village didn't go well together. Angemon himself looked pretty out of place in Dinohyumon's village. Takeru looked at his partner who was saying something to Valdurmon. His partner however looked fit to live in the tower/ palace, no matter how reluctant Angemon was to live in this place. The warriors insisted they live here, since he was now their lord.

"Angemon... may I ask you something?" Takeru asked casually.

The angel digimon laughed softly, "You can ask anything..."

"You're pretty good in ancient language right?" His partner raised an eyebrow but nodded at the question. Takeru sometimes wondered when his partner learned the language and how to read, he recalled other digimon and even Tentomon couldn't read digicode. Back when they visited Primary village for the first time Patamon also could read Japanese. Takeru didn't remember other digimon showed they could read or write (whether they could hold a pen or not aside) like Angemon did. Then again it might be just Angel Digimon's thing. "Uhm... what's '_Song of Hope'_ in Digital world ancient language?"

Angemon smiled at that, "You want to give a name that means Song of Hope to this land? Why?" He asked curiously.

Takeru beamed, "Because we could always hear Valdurmon singing in this island, it's a beautiful voice islanders loves... full of her hope and joy..."

**_"I am flattered milord..." _**Valdurmon let out another joyful trill.

The child of hope looked sheepish as he rubbed the back of his head, "I think those who heard her song would be filled with hope... a place where hope will be always carried by wind and song!" Takeru finished then flushed a deep red, "That's too corny even for me."

Angemon shook his head and without a warning lifted Takeru up, the child of hope yelped as his partner smiled at him as they came face to face. "It's a wonderful hope Takeru... I am so proud of you."

Takeru blushed deeper red, "You think so?"

Angemon nodded, then leaned in to whisper near the child of hope so no one but him could hear it. "It is... and Takeru in ancient language of digital world song of hope is..."

The next day...

Takeru looked at his people with serene eyes, from now on he would work hard and they would be there for him. He was nervous for his new duty but he was willing to give them a new hope of their future. He might be their lord in name but they would be always be precious comrades who had pledge their loyalty to accompany him in his journey. And the first step for that was giving their land a new name, a new hope.

**"Metafalica, the land of hopeful song."  
"This is the name and hope I bestow upon this land of chivalrous warriors."**

* * *

******March 10th, 2000. **Metafalica, Library  


Takeru frowned as he tried to get the digicode on the paper made sense. He swore one of these days the letters were going to come alive and get him. There was no problem learning digital world ancient language, one step at a time and he would be fine. At least he _hoped _so. Being a leader is a tough job, and one for digital entities with enormous power was an even tougher job. Tough couldn't even describe the job when the digimon was hundreds of capable chivalrous soldier that too willing to please. It was not mountain of paperwork or increasing subjects Angemon and Wisemon piled up for him to learn, none of that tedious things. It was the attention he was showered with by the islanders.

For one he couldn't walk outside of the tower without at least one third of population bowing or fell on their knees for him. They won't stop calling him their lord and liege, save for his closest friends no one called him just Takeru without honorifics. That was just a few things on top of his list that he had to deal with because of his new position. The worse thing was he couldn't ask them to stop, or rather he didn't have the heart to _order_ them to stop. For the longest time the warrior tribe had not fought in war but they were born and live as one for the rest of their life. Serving a lord was the call they had been waiting for, it was their purpose in life. The attention and position might be not something Takeru was comfortable with, but what's done was done and he didn't want to break their heart.

"Milord!" A Yasyamon stormed to the library with thinly veiled panic, but even in panic the warrior still kneeled before Takeru.

Takeru sweatdropped at the panting warrior, in spite of long absence of lord in the land they had that servitude begavior drilled in their flesh.

"Your presence is required in your office! Valdurmon-sama and Angemon-sama are waiting for you!"

Takeru stood up, alarmed that his partner and somewhat pseudo second partner digimon was the one who called. "What happened?" He asked, the scroll fell and forgotten on the floor.

Yasyamon looked hesitate for a moment, but quickly regained his bearing the moment Takeru stormed out of the library. "Valdurmon-sama sensed a disturbance in Network Space." He said as he followed the young child to the top of the tower."A digimon was found there and wrecking havoc!"

"Network Space?" Takeru raised an eyebrow, in ancient time according to Wisemon there was a number of digimon that reached certain level of divinity venturing there. Royal Knights especially, the exalted group had built their HQ there because only a handful of digimon could reach it. "How that digimon could get there?" Actually the thought of an evil digimon was strong enough to get there and wrecking havoc was terrible enough, regardless of how. With dread following his every step Takeru started to run, regal manner of a lord be damned.

**Metafalica, Control Tower**

The child of hope opened the metal door that connected to his office, anxiety was written all over his face. "Valdurmon! Angemon!" His partner was there, standing beside Dinohyumon, Wisemon and Grizzlymon.

_**"Milord! A virus digimon was born in the Network Space! Your world is in a state of disarray now!"**_The holy bird digimon informed him in lofty tone.

Takeru climbed to his seat, "What's that digimon doing there?"

_**"I was going fix the communication system of ours that broke long ago..."**_Valdurmon began her explanation, _**"I try to connect to Network Space but this digimon is wrecking havoc there!**_The holy bird digimon sounded, _**"It's consuming fractal code of the network, and if this digimon is left alone it would destroy Network Space and throw both world to chaos!"**_

Angemon gritted his teeth, this was Vamdemon all over again. This digimon was definitely not going to stop with just Network Space, but building its power like Vamdemon did. "Takeru." Angemon called, "What should we do?"

Takeru frowned, "Did you notice any contact made from this world to mine?" He asked Valdurmon.

The ancient digimon took a while before she answered,_**"There's one from File Island... " **_

"Gennai huh?" Angemon pointed out the obvious, "He must have contacted Koushiro or Taichi." He paused, "And maybe Yamato too." After all Yamato was one of the strongest fighter in the group, if Taichi was called he should be too."This is no good." _**  
**_

Takeru paled at that, "Nii-chan and the others would have noticed I lost contact with Gennai!" He groaned, "Nii-chan will freak out!" He shook his head, "I... can worried about that later!" Takeru didn't know who he was trying to convince about that, but probably himself. "Valdurmon! What is the situation now?"

The child of hope waited patiently as Valdurmon took her time to check, _**"I can feel one... two powers in similar nature to yours flowing to Network Space."**_

* * *

**Real World**

Taichi was trying and failing to contact his friend with an exception of Koushiro who was with him, Agumon and Tentomon was battling the spider looking digimon. And so far they were not having much luck as the digimon hopped like a hyper grasshopper. It was not like the little menace was strong, but it was so agile to a point their experienced digimon had difficulties of catching it. Then again their enemy most of the time was freaking giant save a few like Pinochimon. Playing cat and mouse with the Keramon was not a pleasant experience in Taichi's book.

Taichi prayed Hikari would be home soon, his little sister usually wouldn't leave a birthday party abruptly like she was doing now. It was rude, but manner was the farthest in Hikari's mind the moment Taichi mentioned about the emergency situation. Taichi knew Hikari was secretly hoping she could see Takeru in this battle. He didn't have a heart to tell her that Gennai had informed them about Takeru's whereabouts. Or the nonexistent knowledge of Takeru's current whereabouts to be exact. Takeru had been missing contact with Gennai and other digimon for almost half a year and Gennai was still looking for the child of hope.

Taichi could only hope that the moment he could get in contact with Yamato, the child of friendship won't freak out over his missing brother. They had the fate of both worlds in their shoulder, there's no time to waste.

* * *

**Metafalica, Control Tower**

"Our friends are fighting there with that digimon! We have to help them!" Takeru said in panic, "Valdurmon! Could you bring us there?"

Takeru received a mental image of Valdurmon opening her beak, closed it, opened it then closed it again. The holy digimon hesitated before she gave her master an answer. _**"About that milord... there's a little... I mean..."** _She corrected hastily, _**"Vital technical**_ _**problem I have with my system... I 'was' trying to establish an automatic connection with Network Space to restore our system to its fullest potential but..." **_

Dinohyumon groaned, "Get to the point milady..."

"Don't interrupt her!" Grizzlymon hissed.

_**"He is right, pardon me." **_Valdurmon agreed,_** "In short, automatic connection program is down... and we have to establish connection**** manually."**_

_**D**_inohyumon blinked owlishly, "Then what's the problem?"

_**"Is there anyone in this room familiar with programming to issue an order to our system to establish a connection with Network Space?" **_Valdurmon asked hesitantly, _**"And before anyone asked, I can't... while I can access the system, I don't understand the manual way... everything was set in automatic mode for me."  
**_

Takeru didn't really understand the logic, "Easier explanation?"

Valdurmon sighed, **"Basically I have the luxury of everything can be done with one button and now that button broke and I have to connect the wire myself."**

Grizzlymon and Dinohyumon looked at each other, "There's no way we know how to operate computer right?" They grumbled to each other, but addressed to everyone in the room.

"I know a little." Wisemon admitted and in instant a hologram looking control panel with digicode button appeared before him. "Eh?!"

**"We are counting on you!" **Valdurmon and Takeru chorused.

Wisemon looked scandalized, "Don't decide that yourselves!" In spite of his protest Wisemon began to work, translucent blue windows appeared out of the thin air. Wisemon started sweating bullets as he pulled out another window and then another. "Uhm Valdurmon... how old is this system actually?"

_**"It was built the day I was born.**_" The holy bird digimon chirped.

Wisemon roared as he threw the imaginary table to the air, "I am NOT ancient enough to operate this fossil!"

All of them sweat-dropped, looking at Wisemon who was ready to pull his hair if he had any. "How old is she?" Dinohyumon whispered to Grizzlymon.

"Ancient you mean?" The bear digimon muttered back, "At least twenty times older than us, if she was from era before the second great war."

Wisemon was about to try his luck again but Angemon pulled the control panel from him, "Give it to me!" The angel digimon seemed to lost his patience with all the bantering, while his comrades were out there, battling with their life in line. Wisemon stepped back as he watched Angemon began typing furiously. What the angel digimon was doing, he had no idea.

Angemon gritted his teeth, "This going to take a while." He informed them curtly, not stopping even for a moment from his task..

There was a short spell of silence before Valdurmon chirped again, _**"I didn't know you're as ancient as me!"** _

Dinohyumon piped in, "You're that old?!"

The angel digimon promptly ignored them.

* * *

**Back to Real World**

Hikari was running as if her life depended on it, not exactly true but not far from it. She could see Tailmon, and Takeru too! She fidgeted on her feet as another bus passed, her bus would be there in five minutes. Never in her life a five minutes felt like an eternity, it as if time ticking too slowly to her liking. Hikari hugged her bag to her chest, it had been few months after the spirit brought her to Takeru, and she had no idea if he was alright or not. At that time he looked so weak and pale, that for a moment she thought she had lost him.

She didn't want to lose Takeru, she though as her eyes closed shut.

And since then she had wonder what if she followed him that time, when Takeru jumped off of the train. She would be with him and Tailmon. For a fleeting moment Hikari forgot that she had a loving family that would have been devastated to lost her, she had quickly erase the though because digidestined couldn't afford to have two overprotective brothers fret over their siblings in another world. Yamato was already bad enough, Hikari almost felt guilty that she almost couldn't tell him a thing when Yamato asked about his little brother.

"Hey, I heard there's an accident near Hashiyama street."

"For real?"

Hikari's eyes snapped open at the news. "Eh?"

There was two high school student conversing about an accident near her house, "It's really bad I heard, the traffic jam to reach there is really bad now."

"Too bad, Takahiro lives there right? He is still in school for club, maybe it would be fine when he went back."

Another boy shrugged, "Who knows, my girlfriend who live around there said it would be faster to walk there than by bus."

Hikari tensed at that, then she approached the two older boys. "Excuse me, but do you know which road around that accident that really jam?"

The older student eyed the pink dressed girl, "If from here, I heard it's jam all the way to Kamo junction."

Hikari paled at that, "Oh..." That's just ten minutes by bus from her current location, but thirty minutes walk to her house. "Thank you Nii-chan." She turned around and ran through rows of show, "Internet cafe... internet..." She murmured as clutching her bag. "Ah!" Hikari stopped and eyed the internet cafe she found only to frown at the poster, it was a gaming cafe. Would they allow an eight years old girl in?

It was surprisingly easy to convince them to let her using their computer, and they even let her for free. It seemed teary eyes of a little girl works not only on her older brother, but male general population. Now... she just have to email Koushiro-san so he can tell her to contact Tailmon.

* * *

**Shimane **

"Such a lovely and touching story!" The postman sobbed as they watched Yamato turned on the computer and tried to connect to the network.

The barber nodded, "If my old com can reunite two brothers, I would gladly lend them to you boy!"

Yamato wiped his tears as he opened the messenger window, he even didn't lie to get the barber to lend him the com. "Thank you!"

* * *

**Digital World  
**

**"**Why Mimi didn't come? Won't Mimi see me again?" Palmon was close to tears. **  
**

Tailmon shook her head. "I don't think that's why... human in real world have a lot of things to do such as school and work. Sometimes they even travel very far..."

Gabumon nodded, "It's not like Mimi know she has to stay at home today to meet you."

Palmon wiped her tears, "You're right..."

Gomamon sighed, "If human in real world is that busy I wonder what they are doing now in digital world."

"..."

"..."

Biyomon glared at Gomamon who quickly covered his mouth with his fin. "Goooomaaamooon..." The pink bird hollered, "You're so insensitive!"

"I didn't mean to!" Gomamon cried.

Gabumon rolled on the ground, "How can I face Yamato now... Takeru... Patamon..." The beast digimon muttered with waterfall tears running down his face.

Tailmon looked down, "Maybe he don't care about me anymore... " She grumbled under her breath.

Palmon and Biyomon shot flinching Gomamon a glare then went to comfort the two depressed digimon, "I am sure Takeru is fine now, Patamon is taking care of him for sure!" Palmon tried to assure Gabumon who didn't even look up at her and kept rolling back and forth on the ground.

Biyomon patted Tailmon, "I am sure he care about you! It's him we're talking about! Beside... absence make heart grow fonder!"

"It's breaking my heart." Tailmon replied dryly.

"Ooh..." Biyomon cooed, "Don't say that Tailmon, I am sure he has his reason!"

Tailmon sighed sadly, "Then what reason it could be that good enough to ignore me for months?"

"Err..."

Gennai interupted their little pep talk, "Tailmon! Gabumon! Your turn is up! Yamato and Hikari are waiting for you!"

"Coming!" Tailmon answered as she dragged Gabumon to the portal, leaving dumbfounded Palmon and Biyomon.

* * *

Takeru wondered why his chair was floating but not made to shakeable back and forth, because he really wanted it to do so. It was much more comfortable shaking your chair than pacing back and forth. Angemon was still working on connecting the system to the network, he did make progress but it was too slow in this kind of emergency. No one in the room dared to ask when Angemon would finish, because 'as soon as he could' was the only answer.

It was a dead silence in the room save the beeping sound the device made from Angemon's typing.

Then the angel digimon broke the spell of silence with one line that made they jumped. Angemon turned to look at them and if he didn't have a mask on they would have seen his devastated expression, a window with one sentence of digicode and an empty password slot. "We... need a password." He said gravely as if it was the end of the world.

Everyone looked up and Valdurmon somehow got the clue they were silently asking her. **"I have no knowledge of it."**

"..."

**"... My apologies."** Valdurmon muttered sadly.

Angemon frowned at that then pulled a window, "There's..." A foreign voice whispered on the back of his mind, urging him with alarm. "Another way to reset the password, we can try this."

"What are you trying to do?" Wisemon asked worriedly when he saw Angemon took a deep breath. "This system is very delicate, don't do." Something foolish, he wanted to say.

**[[Wee ki ga bansh rre ****NETWORK**]]  
_ I shall concentrate to open the door to Network  
_

**[[METAFALICA ADDR:0x121:3461:3270 :: jYEwA NETWORK]]**  
_ From Metafalica, to __entrust it to the Address 0x121:3461:3270: in Network!_

******[[Presia aulla yor ciel tes mea]]  
**___Please open your world to me.  
_

Suddenly a circular portal tore through the fabric of space on the ceiling of the room, their mouth opened in disbelief at it. Takeru looked at his partner, "Is that the gate to Network Space?" He asked. _  
_

Angemon nodded hesitantly, "Ugh... I think so?" He was not so sure himself, heck he even had no idea what he did just now.

Suddenly a screen popped in the air, displaying Agumon and Gabumon in the middle of warp evolution to Mega. "**We're connected to the network now so I can stream this live! Good job Angemon!" **

"Oh." Wisemon clapped his hands followed by Dinohyumon and Grizzlymon who were more confused than ever. "Now what?"

Angemon turned to Takeru, who grinned as he raised his digivice. "Are you ready?"

"Of course." Angemon grinned back.

"Angemon digivolve to... Holy... Angemon!"

The perfect level angel shifted his stance and nodded to his partner before he flew off to the portal that quickly closed as he passed through.

* * *

**Network Space**

Wargreymon and MetalGarurumon surrounded the Perfect level digimon, and the moment they had it cornered, Wargreymon released his Gaia Force on the virus. The Virus digimon managed to survive the attack, albeit sighed all over its white body. It tried to escape only to run to Cocytus Breath of

"Good work Wargreymon!" Taichi cheered his ultimate level digimon. "Keep going!"

Yamato encouraged his robotic beast digimon. "You too MetalGarurumon!"

Infermon howled in pain, staggering as it landed on a data plane. The virus eyed Tentomon and Tailmon, two screen of their respective digidestined hovered near them. It could see the digidestined was planning to overpower him even more, stacking more odds against him. That was not favorable, it thought as it drew its limbs to its shell like a turle. Tentomon and Tailmon was in mid of evolution when the bullet like body of Infermon flew towards them. The virus however didn't reach its target and had to stop abruptly when a laser broadsword barely missed its head.

Kabuterimon and Angewomon gasped when they realized Infermon almost caught them off guard, but their worries dissipated when they saw their savior. "HolyAngemon!" Angewomon gasped, he came!

The silver winged angel smiled at them, "My apologies for being late, we have a bit of trouble to connect here."

"Everyone!" Takeru's screen popped up near HolyAngemon. "Did we make it in time?" He asked sheepishly.

"Takeru!" Yamato cried, "You're here!"

"Takeru-kun! You're alright!" Hikari muttered in relieve.

The child of hope blinked at them, "Eh?" When he was not alright?

Taichi took a deep breath, "Sorry for the interruption! But the big bad virus is coming this way!" True to his word Infermon was spinning like a bullet towards them.

"HolyAngemon!" Takeru called, "Stop him!"

HolyAngemon moved sword in circular motion, a circle of light appeared then morphed to a golden gate. **"Heaven's Gate!"** The gate however was not turned to a vortex they all knew of, instead the white pool of the gate fired a pillar of light that hit Infermon and blasting the virus digimon to the nearest data plane.

Infermon let out a pained shriek but quickly back to its quickly dodged a barrage of light arrows Angewomon unleashed upon him. **"Holy Arrow!"** Angewomon fired another arrow that barely missed Infermon's head.

**"Cocytus Breath!"** MetalGarurumon roared as he unleashed freezing attack towards the elusive virus. Infermon ran with its long limbs, leaving a trail of icicles behind him.

Wargreymon took his chance to block Infermon's path, greeting the perfect level digimon with his sphere or fire. **"Gaia Force!"**

Much to their frustration Infermon managed to dodge Gaia force, and once again jumped away from AtlurKabuterimon's Horn Buster and the insect digimon had to struggle to pry his horn off of the data wall he crashed. "This is frustrating." AtlurKabuterimon said.

HolyAngemon hovered above him and Angemon, "What an astounding agility... it managed to evade all of our attacks."

Angewomon flew beside him, "Never mind our attack he dodged but you manage to hit it, this digimon is a virus digimon."

"And I am a vaccine Angel digimon." He continued, "It's strange indeed."

WarGreymon growled, "So true, why this guy didn't keel over after that attack?"

MetalGarurumon nodded in agreement, "Before we still can inflict significant damage that enough to make it pause but now..."

AtlurKabuterimon added his two cents, "I think he is also getting faster, or it's just me?"

Takeru who was listening the conversation gasped, "It can't be..."

The other digidestined turned to Takeru, wondering what made the younger boy looked so anxious. "Takeru? What's wrong?" Yamato asked.

"Oi Takeru!" Taichi called him out.

Takeru turned to them with a face that tell them he had a bad news, "This is bad." He muttered then turned to their digimon. "Take him out NOW! Don't let him digivolve to ultimate!" He shouted in desperate voice.

Their digimon gasped at that, and HolyAngemon growled under his breath. "This digimon...Everyone! Don't attack him anymore! Capture him! He is gaining experience from this battle!"

Angewomon gasped at that, "But that... it's using us to evolve?!"

Truth quickly dawned to the rest of them, and none of them was happy to be used by the virus. Wargreymon roared angrily. "Now that did it! HolyAngemon! I am going to kick this bastard goodbye to your gate!"

"It would be my pleasure." HolyAngemon replied smoothly.

Taichi grinned then turned to Takeru, "Good job figuring out his plan!"

Takeru grinned sheepishly at the praise, "It's thanks to our digimon to notice its growing power." He turned his attention back to the battlefield, where their digimon was in hot pursuit of Infermon. "Speaking of which, it's not going smoothly in our side."

Hikari glanced at Takeru, wondering since when he started become so observant of battle instead of just cheering for their digimon. She had to agree he was right, Infermon was leading their digimon to a merry chase. "True... at this rate they're going be so tired."

"It's just not what they used to do." Takeru muttered.

Koushiro blinked at that, "Oh right, we're used to being chased not the other way around."

Taichi and Yamato rolled their eyes to Koushiro, "You don't have to point out that sad fact."

"It's true." Koushiro pointed out again. "Gah!" The genius suddenly hunched over, and holding his stomach painfully. "Excuse me... I need... toilet." He wheezed.

AtlurKabuterimon stopped and turned to his partner, "At the time like this Koushiro-han?!"

Koushiro's screen was empty, and Taichi sighed at the insect digimon. "Sorry, he is busy now. He drank too many Oolong tea."

"You must be kidding me!" The insect digimon wailed.

"AtlurKabuterimon!" HolyAngemon hissed, "Duck!" He barked.

The insect digimon did as the angel digimon told him in panic, barely missed Infermon bullet by an inch pass his horn. "Sorry! And thanks!"

MetalGarurumon growled as he hovered beside HolyAngemon, "This is not good! How we're going to catch him while he was bolting around like that? Even if we attacked he will shrug it off."

Wargreymon beside him nodded, "What to do now?"

HolyAngemon readied his sword, "Excaliburst!" The laser sword came to life. "There's no time to waste, we have to pin it down with direct physical attack." The angel digimon said as he blocked Infermon's path, but instead of running to the sword the virus digimon managed to shifted its body and survive the clash with a thin scratch running through its white body.

**"****Spider Cannon!"** His mouth opened to reveal a barrel-like cannon, shooting small flares at the angel digimon that barely had time to use his beam shield to protect himself.

WarGreymon and Garurumon moved and caught Infermon when his attention focused on HolyAngemon. "Got you!" WarGreymon growled as he and MetalGreymon pinned the virus by its long limbs. Infemon didn't give in, he trashed around and tried to pull his limbs back to his body. "Woi! Woi!"

"Uwaa!" Metalgreymon who was using his front leg had more difficulties in holsing the virus down. "Stay still!"

HolyAngemon had no idea what to do since there's no way he could squeeze himself in in between the three massive digimons, and he might accidentally harm his friends too. "Get a hold of him! I will ready my gate!"

"We are working on that!" WarGreymon said, "He is a tough one!"

In spite of being one level lower Infermon possessed massive strength that enough to match ultimate level digimon and after one full minute the three digimon were still struggling and trashing around the network space. HolyAngemon, Angewomon and AtlurKabuterimon flew to follow the three that still locked in the struggle. "This is getting nowhere." Angewomon muttered in annoyed tone.

"And we can't help either."

"This if frustrating!" Taichi at last lost his patience, "Come on!"

Takeru turned to Taichi, "But Taichi-san, calm..." Taichi's screen went black then disappeared, "Eh?"

Wargreymon suddenly stopped moving, MetalGarurumon noticed and about to call him out when a barrage of red flares attacked him and defenseless Wargreymon.

"MetalGarurumon!"

"WarGreymon!"

And all hell broke loose.


	7. Chapter 6: Hopeful Farewell

******(¯ˆ·.¸****Hopeful Farewell********¸.·ˆ¯)**  


Takeru wondered what just happened to Taichi, as just a moment ago they're still in the middle of battle and the next thing they knew Taichi's screen went blank. "What happened just now?"

Wisemon titled his head to the side, "Your friend broke his computer it seemed."

"What?! In the middle of battle?!" Takeru exclaimed incredulously as they watched Wargreymon helplessly bombarded by the virus digimon's attack. "Holy Angemon! Drive it away!"

* * *

**Back in Network Space**

"Yes! Takeru!" The holy digimon answered his partner's call.

Holy Angemon attacked Diaboromon and the white digimon fled. Takeru was right, there's no point to continue battling the virus now. Especially because large body of immobile Wargreymon and Atlurka Kabuterimon was going to be a huge distraction to them. They had to escape before any further damage could be done to their helpless friend or…

"**Heaven's Gate!" **He summoned his gate and numerous beams of light rained upon the virus digimon.

The attack was weak as he was dividing a single attack's power to multiple, but it had desired effect of covering larger area. As expected the virus digimon backed away and made a hasty escape with manic laughter. That was easier than he thought, it seemed the virus was not in hurry to eliminate them.

"It ran away?" MetalGarurumon who was protecting Wargreymon muttered, he was damaged from Diaboromon's attack but nothing as serious as Wargreymon's.

Holy Angemon shook his head in negative. "I will call that tactical retreat… it's still too weak to fight us head on so it's going to eat data somewhere else to increase its strength."

"Then we shouldn't have let it go." Angewomon said in irritated tone.

"Two of our friends are immobilized and it's impossible to protect them." He gestured to their gigantic body. "It's unfavorable but I'd rather risk this than their safety."

Angewomon smiled at that, "You're right…"

Yamato swallowed, "True, but still… what take Taichi so long?"

**BEEP! **

"We're back!" The brunette boy appeared on the screen, paling once he laid his eyes on his partner. "Wargreymon!"

'Ta… Tai… chi…" Wargreymon muttered weakly.

Yamato shot Taichi an angry look, "He stopped moving and that virus attacked him mercilessly! If not for Metalgarurumon and Holy Angemon he would have been worse!"

Taichi looked very guilty as he reached out to the screen as if he could hold his digimon but stopped by Kyoushiro who was still wary of Kamiya's fragile old computer. For a while no one spoke until Holy Angemon flew closer to the Ultimate Digimon pair, "Move aside MetalGarurumon, I will heal him."

"You can do that?" Taichi brightened up, "Thank you very much! Holy Angemon."

The holy digimon's wing shone in silver light as Wargreymon's wound gradually disappeared. "This will take a while…" If they wanted him to be ready for battle right away.

* * *

**Metafalica, control room **

Takeru was worried, which was understandable as they were in the middle of battle to protect the world. Grizzlymon had asked why they were not sending their troops to help, but the suggestion was swiftly rejected by Wisemon. The perfect level digimon reasoned that the link to network they had was shaky at best and sending reinforcement would put a strain on it.

Beside they already had advantage of number over there but still in trouble, adding more was not going to help.

Takeru understood that all they could do was pushing on and he didn't know what to do to turn the tide of battle.

Suddenly he felt a tiny warmth on his hand, and he was surprised to see a digignome holding his hand. "**¶q¶q¶q¶ Þ•Þ•Þ•Þ TAKERU! **o¤o¤o¤o¤o** ±‡±‡±‡±‡±‡ ·..·¨·..·¨·..·!" **The tiny mysterious creature said as it gestured wildly to Taichi and Yamato on their screen.

All eyes were on him, expecting a response. Takeru was silent as he looked back and forth between the digignome and his screen or precisely the two brother figures in his life.

"I understand." He said with a gentle smile, "This battle is not meant for me to be in the frontline."

"My lord?" Dinohyumon queried, "What do you mean?"

Takeru just laughed softly, "It's just how it is for me." Then he looked to the side, and he knew Angemon listened to everything. "Right? Holy Angemon?"

* * *

**Real World**

Koushiro reread the email the virus sent them, it sent freaking missiles with timer to eliminate them all. This was getting worse and worse, what should they do now? That Diaboromon even multiplied like no tomorrow, even advantage of number was not on their side anymore.

Wargreymon thankfully had recovered but they had another problem in exchange.

* * *

**Network**

"No need to thank me, however…"

"Holy Angemon's healing power is limited." Takeru informed them, "And angel digimon like him and Angewomon consumed energy faster than other digimon, so we're not a good fighter for long battle."

Angewomon nodded in agreement, "Depends on our experience too of course but from how much you consume energy to heal Wargreymon alone…"

He nodded, "I won't last long in this form."

Takeru noticed the way Taichi flinched when he heard it, "Taichi-san… you don't have to feel guilty." He assured the older boy, "Holy Angemon and I are not the hope of the group, but the one who keep hope to stay alive in us… no matter how difficult the situation is you can leave your back to us."

All of them focused their attention to Takeru, wondering since when he became so wise and comforting. Perhaps Takeru always was, but only now they noticed him.

"That's why." Takeru continued, "Never give up, and keep pushing forward because we will always keep hope alive…"

Hikari beamed, "Takeru is right onii-chan!"

Angewomon smiled at that, glancing at her counterpart. "Hope and Light…"

"That's why…" Holy Angemon drawled, "I am going to give Metalgarurumon and Wargreymon my remaining power." Then he glanced at his counterpart, "You too Angewomon."

The female angel digimon whirled around in shock, "But, if we do that we're out of this battle!"

"True, but this is the way… " He glanced at the two gigantic digimon.

Taichi and Yamato were thoroughly confused by his sudden decision to back out of the battle. "But HolyAngemon…"

"We're doing the right thing." Takeru chimed in, "For now it seems confusing to you but well… we need you guys to get stronger to beat Diaboromon! And for that… HolyAngemon and I want to increase your chance of winning with lending you our strength, just like before."

They were reminded of when Angemon and Angewomon pierced them with their arrow, what was Takeru trying to do and how did he know it was going to work.

"It will work." Takeru assured him and for some reason they couldn't find a shred of doubt and trusted him. "I know it will… this is my hope, our strength."

"That we will entrust to you." HolyAngemon said as he bathed in golden light.

Angewomon looked at him and then to Hikari who nodded, "Very well…" She agreed, after all he was the one who always assured her to believe in miracle.

Takeru looked at his dumfounded brother and Taichi, "Help us to." He outstretched his hand as if asking them to take it, "Reach out for your digimon, please… be there for them."

Taichi and Yamato were sure as that they hell had no idea what Takeru was trying to do but before they knew it they had reached out to the screen, and it felt like they could go in there. Much to their shock their hands passed through the screen and they fell on their respective digimon's back.

As soon as they came in contract with their partner, an even more blinding light erupted. The light was blinding as both Angel shone and the light was centered on the bracelet of digicode they wore. The chosen children gasped as ring of digicode left the respective angel and enlarged in size before they enveloped he two ultimate digimon.

"**Wargeymon!"**

"**Metalgarurumon." **

In their place a knight like looking digimon descended, almost all of its body was encased in pure white armor and if not for the two arms that resemble the head of Metalgarurumon and Wargreymon they couldn't recognized the new figure as one of theirs. White cloak fell gently around the new digimon, enhancing his gallant figure.

* * *

**Metafalica**

Takeru eyed the new digimon with a smile, unlike his friends in real world who was shocked by the new appearance he instantly recognize the holy knight digimon. "One of Royal Knights, Omegamon…" Wisemon who stood by his side breathed out in disbelief, "How do you know this is going to happen Takeru?"

He shook his head, "I don't… but I know one way or another Taichi-san and Onii-chan will be able to tap to this power, I am just giving them a little push I suppose."

Wisemon decided to leave it down although inside both he and Takeru realized this was another can of worm opened. Why the same digimon that was once the pseudo-leader of Royal Knight was born and a partner of chosen children? But for now…

* * *

**Network **

Taichi and Yamato quickly left the space and went in search of Diaboromon. Behind them Patamon, Tailmon and Tentomon watched their retreating back. It was a one-sided battle, as Diaboromon stood no chance against the holy knight digimon. Koushiro who had been flooded by emails was helped by Takeru with using his computer to halt it so it won't affect Omegamon's movement. In spite of gaining on Diaboromon, they were pressing on time and Diaboromon was on last spurt to delay his demise to take everyone to go down with him.

Koushiro thankfully managed to come up with a brilliant idea at the very last second, sending all emails he received and slowed down the virus digimon. Omegamon stabbed the timer with his broadsword right when the timer was on 0.3 seconds left.

It was a very close call but no one cared as they were alive and won the battle. Taichi and Koushiro had mild panic attack when they saw the missile sunk on the river not far away from Yagami's apartment. It seemed Diaboromon tracked them and fired the missiles towards them.

While they were no strangers to brushing closely with danger, it was one of the worst close calls they ever had.

They were about to celebrate but Takeru's voice reminded them that Takeru was still in digital world and faraway. This was also the first contact they had with him for since their return.

"**But Onii-chan…" **They saw Takeru's frowning face on their screen while in another window they say Yamato and Hikari. The communication was still going.

"**Takeru…" **Yamato pleaded, **"Please… go home, come back to us! Our parents are waiting for you to return!" **

Takeru's eyes lightened up at that, **"Okaa-san and Tou-san?"**

Yamato nodded frantically, **"We have our family back! Our parents remarried! You're Ishida Takeru again!"**

Takeru's breath hitched when he heard it, that he could have his family back again but…

* * *

**Network Space**

Patamon quickly digivolve back to his adult form, as he had enough energy recovered already and needed speed to go back. He was about to bid his friend a good bye before he felt sharp claw digging on his leg. Glancing down he found Tailmon glaring at him with the scariest eyes he had ever seen. "Tailmon…"

She snarled, "Do you think I have forgotten certain someone has been forgetting me for months?! Leave me hanging without so much a hello or telling me that he is still alive!"

Angemon swallowed, "I am sorry but Takeru and I… we're really far away from File Island so we can't contact you… it's irresponsible of me, and I am really sorry." He said in apologetic tone and much to his shock she started to tear up. "Tailmon?!"

Tentomon was nearby but sensing the mood was heating up he swiftly made his retreat and jumped to the portal to go back to File Island. Angemon was left alone to deal with the crying female digimon.

"Irresponsible?! You're sorry?!" She said between her sobs, "Six months! I don't know your whereabouts and not even a word from you! I… I… feel so alone, that you don't care about me at all!"

Angemon felt panic slowly clouded his mind as he bend down so he could pull her to his arms. "Of course I care about you… You are my closest friend."

"And yet! You are going to leave me again!" She snapped, her claws digging on his chest. "How is that caring?!"

Usually this worked whenever she was upset, he was so used to simple way their relationship worked. If she was upset, he had just to give her a hug, encouraging and soothing words and everything was going to be okay. Apparently now it was not working. Not to mention…

"Please don't cry…" He pleaded. "You know that I… I can't…"

She cried again, "Yeah, I know! You can't deal with tears! Especially crying me!" That was one of the first things he knew about him. Angemon was used to comfort Takeru and Tailmon, but once she cried he would get a panic attack and it was funny. Sometimes even a hiccup was enough to make him jump and run to stop her from crying.

She sniffed, "I guess… if you're still panic when I cry that means you care…"

He looked relieved that she believed him, until…

"But I am not going to forgive you yet." And just like that she burst his bubble.

Maybe she had not repent from her days as cruel henchwoman of Vamdemon, as she really enjoyed to see Angemon squirm _for_ her. It was not that funny when he was in Patamon form with slightly childish mindset, but when he was in his higher form his mindset was fully an adult like her. He was more composed and virtuous compared to her, which was why whenever she managed to make him lose his cool was hilarious.

Angemon stammered, "Tailmon please… I am sorry I make you upset but I…"

"Which is why I will forgive you when you make it up for me in our next meeting in digital world." Tailmon decided smugly, "And don't you dare to make me wait for another six months."

He blinked under his helmet, "Oh… I think I can do that… but…"

"I know." She averted her eyes from him, "Just like Hikari said, you and Takeru have something you have to do on your own." It pained her that he had something else he had to prioritize, but as long as he cared of her she would endure it. "I can't and I won't stop you…" She muttered as she pushed away from his embrace, reluctantly putting some distance between them. "If Hikari can let Takeru go, I should be able too…"

He supposed to feel happy to know she understood and willing to accept his absence. In the other hand he felt guilty that she had to be alone. Of course they had their friends, but it was not the same for them. He missed her very much and Takeru's presence helped, but Tailmon didn't have Hikari with her.

"It's a promise." He muttered softly, "I will return for you as soon as I could." He promised sincerely.

She nodded, giving him a hug before jumped down from his arms. "And you better keep it."

"I will…"

And with that he flew away to different portal than hers that connected to File Island, she was tempted to follow but without wings she couldn't and she promised to wait for him. She just hoped their next encounter wouldn't be too long.

* * *

**Real World**

Taichi and Koushiro couldn't help but happy when they saw the way Takeru's face glowed in happiness. It was a dream come true for Takeru to have his family back. This way for sure Takeru would want to go home and back with his family. What he said next was not what they expected to hear.

Takeru closed his eyes and gave them a heart wrenching smile, **"I am happy for them, it's a dream come true to have our family back… but…" **Yamato's heart sunk when he heard Takeru's words. **"I can't go home now."**

"**But Takeru! The digital gate is open! You can go home!" **He could go through the computer, surely that meant Takeru could return too!

Takeru shook his head, **"No, just now it's just temporarily open for you to network space… it's not exactly digital world." **Takeru explained, **"It's a firewall… that separate digital world and real world and now it's closed."**

Yamato was disheartened when he heard that but even more when he heard Takeru continued on, **"Beside… even if the digital gate is open now, I **_**will**_** not go home now."**

Taichi didn't want to interfere but he thought Takeru was overboard, "Oi! Takeru! I get it you want to be stronger with staying in digital world but you make your family sad!"

"**Taichi!" **Yamato hissed, **"Stay out of this!" **

Taichi glared at Yamato, "No, I need to knock some sense on your brother! Believe me! Before I am also like that! I want to be stronger, I want Agumon to get stronger and I ignore everyone around me! All I get in the end is pain and I am hurting all of you with my selfishness!"

All of them were silence as they recalled Taichi when he was obsessed with helping Agumon to evolve to perfect level.

Yamato understand what Taichi was getting at but Takeru was not a boy who will blindly crave for power. It was just not Takeru because his brother disliked violence.

Takeru closed his eyes, **"I am not staying in digital world only to get stronger, it's not my only reason." **

"**Then why?" **Yamato snapped before he realized he had yelled at his baby brother, **"Takeru, I… didn't mean to…"**

He shook his head, **"It's fine if you're mad at me, I can't blame you… I will get mad at myself if I am in your shoes Onii-chan… however… I have to say because…" **

"**It's something Takeru-kun have to do?" **Hikari who had been so quiet suddenly spoke out. **"Is that right?" **

Takeru blinked owlishly at Hikari, wondering how she could tell what he was thinking. **"Yes… I am staying because there's something I have to do no matter what…"**

**Bzzz! Bzzz! **

Suddenly the image of Takeru shook like bad signal on old TV, "Uwaa… what's going on."

Takeru just sighed, **"Well… it seems because Angemon make an emergency connection to Network space the signal is pretty bad and now the connection is about to collapse." **

_**Milord!**_

_**Connection!**_

_**Get Lord Angemon to come…**_

_**Soon! **_

They heard different voices in the background, and they had no idea whose.

"**Takeru!" **

"**Takeru-kun!" **

They almost couldn't see his face as his screen was mostly myriad of random colors, **"I… I am sorry, I wish… I c… could." **Now even his voice was unclear and botched, **"One day…. I… will go home… one… day …. Promise…" **

"**Takeru! Wait! Please!" **Yamato begged.

And then the connection was completely cut off but not before they heard one clear sentence, one that told them they wouldn't see Takeru for a very long time.

"**Good bye… may hope always live in your heart everyone…"**

They didn't see Takeru and Angemon for a long time, it as if they had disappeared without trace…

Even three years later they who present in that battle could still hear their farewell.

* * *

**At last I manage to finish it! We are going for time skip yippeee! **

**At any rate the reason I skip the detail of Diaboromon VS Omegamon is simply because it's not _that _different than in canon. I am writing digimon movie in my story simply because I need Takeru to have _indirect_ contact with his friends and brother. I want them to see Takeru mean business and how his journey is not simple that he go as far as leaving his family (one whole family he wished for) **

**I hope in spite of my slow rate of update, you still follow this story ^^**

**Little preview: **

"What do you mean a _human _tyrant is wrecking havoc as we speak?"

Dinohyumon and Grizzlymon looked at each other and then back to the image of their lord on the screen, "Exactly what we said milord."

Takaishi or rather Ishida Takeru run his gloved hand through his blond locks, "I mean human and not digimon, and now of all times when I am farawar from the mainland of Midgard."

"Well..." They shrugged, "If you're here, you and Lord Angemon would have kicked his ass six ways to Tuesday." Grizzlymon said as if that was an appropriate explanation.

**Hope you love this update and review! If I am on review-high I am sure I will update soon LOL **


	8. Chapter 7: Hope in Faraway Land

**********(¯ˆ·.¸****Hope in Faraway Land************¸.·ˆ¯)**

**April, 2002 **

Tailmon ran to the nearest shelter she and other digidestined digimon used to hide for the last few months. She was chased by Digimon Emperor's lackeys for quite sometime, and if not for numerous hideout scattered around the area, she and other digidestined digimon would have been caught. At least she knew Tentomon and Agumon were safe as they had been with her but the others, she could only hoped they were as safe as she was if not safer.

The moment she managed to get inside the hiding tree, she was greeted by Tentomon and Agumon. She put down the bag full of food she scavenged from surrounding area, including one odd building she recalled Hikari told her was called Supermarket. It was a blessing that random building was around.

She sighed in relief as she nursed the bowl of warm soup Tentomon gave her. "Thanks."

Tentomon looked at her guiltily, "You're welcome, sorry that you have to look for food for us."

Agumon looked equally guilty, "Yeah."

Tailmon snorted, "Come on… I am the only adult digimon here who have the best chance to get out and come back with food. An Unimon is prowling around this area, and I doubt either of you can escape easily from it."

The bug digimon rubbed the back of his head sheepishly, "You're right…"

Green eyes of Agumon looked up in frustration, "Not yet… when Taichi and others will come?"

Tentomon and Tailmon looked at each other sadly, "Who knows… it's not something we can control." Tailmon muttered.

Tentomon rubbed his pincer like arm nervously, "Uhm… Tailmon, I don't really want to ask but… considering our situation I think…"

The cat looking digimon gulped down the rest of her soup the moment it was cool enough for her tongue, small drop of tear pooled around her eyes. "I don't know… I am as lost as you do of Angemon's and Takeru's whereabouts."

* * *

**Flashback (3 months ago) **

_"What?! Did I hear you right?" Tailmon was tempted to screech but she managed to keep her voice indignant. "You're going for who know how long with Takeru to who knows where? AGAIN?!" _

_Angemon flinched guiltily, "Uhm… yes, you heard me right." _

_Which mean he couldn't promise her an exact time he will return, and he couldn't tell her where he was going either because he was going to find out later. Usually he went to one general direction and got to somewhere unknown and not even on the world map._

_ This was not the first time Angemon and Takeru did this, in fact in the span of three years they had been doing it for too many times to count. Usually it took a few weeks, sometimes just in three days they had to return with empty hands but he and Takeru could go up to six months without news of their whereabouts. _

_Judging from Angemon's tone of voice, it was very likely the angel digimon predicted this next trip was going to be the latter. _

_"I am sorry…"_

_He was always sorry and yet he had never stopped going to these expedition he and Takeru were equally enthusiastic of. She couldn't understand what they wanted to achieve, but he and Takeru were so determined about it she had no heart to call them out of it._

_ Takeru if anything was even worse than Angemon, the pure little boy had grown up to be a young man and most of the time he was the one who decide everything in his partnership with Angemon. It was not like Takeru forced Angemon to his whim, but somehow the dynamic of their partnership had shifted, and he was no longer little boy Angemon had to protect and fret over. Angemon if anything rarely question Takeru's decision. _

_"Don't be… I understand that you have to do this with Takeru."_

_Actually she didn't, because she had no idea of what he and Takeru were doing. However as time passed she was used to it, and as long as he returned to her… she didn't want anything else._

* * *

_End of Flashback_

"Takeru change a lot…" Agumon couldn't help but commented.

Tentomon nodded in agreement, "He is still the same kind boy we know but… "

Tailmon knew what they were going to say, it had been repeatedly mentioned by all digidestined digimon. "But somehow he also become so distant from us." She continued as she set the bowl down. "You think so because that time he…"

"He didn't come." Agumon mumbled, "That time when everyone came to release their crest, Takeru didn't come and he released his crest one week prior to invitation Gennai sent him."

Tentomon rubbed his forearms sheepishly, "Yamato was crushed…"

She sighed at that, recalling how Yamato almost gave Gennai a heart attack when the blond demanded Gennai to tell him where Takeru was. "Well… no matter what reason Takeru have to stay in digital world, do you think Yamato will listen when Takeru is right in front of him?"

Not to mention Takeru's reason to stay was undoubtedly dangerous to himself.

_'I can't tell anyone for now but… when the time is right…  
I promise that I will tell you everything. Please trust me, just for this... please trust me.'_

If he said it like that, how could they refuse him? Takeru looked like he was in pain, and the next thing they knew all of them had agreed to not ask what he and Angemon were doing for the last three years.

"By the way the last place Takeru visited three months ago was Primary Village right?" Agumon queried, changing the subject before it became too depressing.

Tentomon nodded in agreement. "Yeah, he talked with Elecmon and Swanmon for quite sometime before he left."

Swanmon was a female digimon Takeru brought with him last year to help Elecmon, since the lone babysitter was overworked with the sudden baby boom. At first Elecmon was not happy. However Swanmon was as dedicated as he was in babysitting baby digimon so he gave in and accepted Swanmon as his assistant.

"But of all places, Primary Village is the place he visited frequently more than any other places whenever he returned from his trip." Tentomon muttered, "I wonder why?"

"Because it's a very important place for Digimon to reborn." Tailmon answered, "Angemon said it's vital to protect that place, so he and Takeru were working on some sort of defense mechanism for Primary Village."

Agumon and Tentomon looked slyly at Tailmon, "Oooh, so Angemon told you but not us… heeeeee~" If either of them had eyebrows, they would have wiggled it at Tailmon inquiringly.

She flushed a deep red, usually it was the girls and Gomamon who would tease her mercilessly but apparently Agumon and Tentomon were in the same ship.

"Shut up! Shut up! Shut up!"

* * *

**Real World**

It had been three years since they left digital world and two and half years since she saw Takeru. Hikari would be lying to say she was not as saddened and disappointed as Yamato was when Takeru didn't come to the brief reunion two years ago. He went as far as avoiding them to stay in Digital world, and she was…

"Hikari-chaaaan" Someone called her name, snapping her out of her thought. "Ohayo!" He was running to catch up with her.

It was Motomiya Daisuke, a classmate of hers that could be mistaken as younger clone of his brother. He acted a lot like her brother when Taichi was younger too, but Hikari thought Daisuke was brasher and louder. He was still a good friend though.

Hikari gave him a curt nod as greeting, "Ohayo, Daisuke-kun."

He beamed at her, pleased that his crush returned his greeting. Suddenly the bell that signaled the class was about to begin rang across the schoolyard. "We'd better be hurry! Onizuka-sensei is a killer to latecomers!"

Hikari nodded in agreement, "Oh, you're right."

Daisuke stepped forward ahead of Hikari with a blush on his cheeks, as he reached his hand out shyly. "Let's…"

However Hikari ran ahead to their school gate, not even sparing a glance at the offered hand. "Hurry! Daisuke-kun!"

"Eh? Wait!" He yelled, running after his crush.

Hikari glanced at Daisuke who ran beside her. She did notice the hand he offered to her, but she didn't accept it as a way to subtly hinting she was not interested with him in that way. Daisuke was a good guy, and she was flattered he liked her like that. However she didn't feel the same way for him, and it was better he gave up on her and look for someone else who would return his feeling.

There was only one boy aside of her brother she had held hand with in the past, and until now… she was still waiting for that hand to return to hers.

_'Takeru-kun…'_

* * *

**Somewhere unknown in D.W **

Sand and more sand… And the only thing noteworthy to look at was the upside down pyramid in the middle of this endless dessert. However after camping here for a month, it lost its novelty pretty quickly. If not for their lord's project that involve excavation of ancient sites in digital world, they wouldn't dream to drop their sword and picked up shovel to dig.

Not that the sword and other weapon were abandoned completely, as occasionally a number of wild digimons were bold enough to attack them. This was not the same place as Server continent or any other places that they were familiar with. In this part of the world digimon ate other digimon, and one wrong move could cost them their life.

"Watch out for the light pillar!" Yasyamon warned his companion who stepped aside to let it pass.

A pink glowing ball rolled pass and pillar of light zoned pass too, a normal sight to them now.

"Dog eats dog world… What a place we ended up to visit~ " Wisemon, the advisor and close friend of their lord commented as another beast digimon rampaged towards them and easily dispatched by a troop of trained soldiers. "I am really glad you guys are all loyal warriors to Takeru, and going as far as following him to this place."

One of the soldier that stationed near the entrance of the pyramid, Yasyamon snorted. "We are his loyal subjects, his wish is our command…"

Another stationed across Yasyamon nodded, tipping her hat slightly. She was a Witchmon,and she was not one of Metafalica native digimon but one of many that had joined Metafalica's army last year. "Standing here to defend him is nothing in comparison of what our Lord have done for us."

Wisemon shrugged, "Well… most digimon from the young world would never dream to venture in primitive part of our world like this place, heck… this place is not even on the map."

"Because the four God wished to hide the existence of primitive plain from the Digidestined and most digimon…" Witchmon cackled, "Witchelny's existence is also a top secret."

Witchelny was another flying island like Metafalica that located in the corner of Digital world. In ancient text refered as another world because of how vastly different flying islands' culture and landscape were with digital world.

Yasyamon snorted, "Metafalica is suppose to be a hidden island too, they didn't expect we can travel freely from our island to lower world since the death of Milleniummon."

"We can thank our Lord and his friend for that." Witchmon concluded, "No thanks to those old crones who at the first sign of trouble got themselves defeated and sealed." She snarled, "On top of that they dared to make our Lord to give up his crest!"

Wisemon sighed wearily, she was one of many of them who had voiced their outrage about Takeru giving up the crest. They understood the importance of restoring their world but what enraged them even more was the report they received few hours ago. It was one of the worst news they ever received from Metafalica.

* * *

Flashback

_"What do you mean a __human __tyrant is wrecking havoc in digital world as we speak?"_

_Dinohyumon and Grizzlymon looked at each other and then back to the image of their lord on the screen, "Exactly what we said milord."_

_Their Lord ran his gloved hand through his blond locks, "I mean _human_ and not digimon, and now of all times when I am far away from the mainland."_

_"Well..." They shrugged, "If you're here, you and Lord Angemon would have kicked his ass six ways to Tuesday." Grizzlymon said as if that was an appropriate explanation._

_Angemon snorted at that, "And… how about the Four Gods?" _

_"No action or any responds from them…" Grizzlymon replied promptly, "It's safe to assume that it's very likely the history have repeat itself." He was referring to how the four Gods were defeated by Dark Masters and sealed, which in their mind could be summarized as being useless and incapacitated again. Sometimes they wondered when the four Gods could do their job. _

_Wisemon narrowed his round yellow eyes, "For them to be defeated by Dark Masters... I can understand, but a human? How did he do that?" _

_Dinohyumon cleared his throat as he read the report, "It's been reported that a huge number of black obelisk are erected by this human tyrant, and we pick up negative energy from it so we assume there must be some sort of connection." _

_Their Lord narrowed his blue eyes skeptically, "How did this human build this black obelisk? Are those done overnight?"_

_"No, it was built manually with slave labor." The warrior digimon reported grimly. _

_Lord Angemon and their Lord looked at each other then back to the screen. "Which mean it took a lot of time to erect so many of them, so… it can't be just those Black Obelisk…" The angel digimon murmured.  
_

_ "We can mull over the technical part on the way back." Their lord gritted his teeth, "Our friends are in danger…" _

_"True." Lord Angemon agreed. _

_He stood up from his seat, and commanded. "Everyone pack up, we're going back to Metafalica. We're going to return to mainland with full speed! Grizzlymon! Dinohyumon, inform Valdurmon to be ready!" _

_Both Dinohyumon and Grizzlymon flinched in unison at the idea, "Uhm… milord, about going back…" _

_"Eh… we… can't, it's season of storm … the ocean that separating this continent and mainland is impossible to cross by now!" Dinohyumon explained apologetically. There was a reason they couldn't go back and forth as much as they liked, because in specific season it was impossible for traveling. _

_He groaned in frustration, he thought the season of storm won't be coming so soon. Then again the weather in primitive part of digital world was impossible to predict. "What the alternative way? If the air and the sea are out? Land?" _

_Dinohyumon quickly checked the map, "Uhm… it's possible but it takes around two weeks to one month depending on our speed…" _

_"It's too dangerous!" Grizzlymon argued. _

_"Begin to pack!" He turned around, barking orders. "We will leave by early morning to Metafalica to refill our supplies." _

_"Milord!" Grizzlymon protested._

* * *

_End of Flashback _

Of course their Lord didn't heed their objection to travel by land. He proposed to leave all of them in Metafalica and went back to mainland with Lord Angemon. Then again considering it was their friends' safety at stake, they couldn't convince their lord and his partner to rethink their dangerous decision. He had also convinced them traveling in group was going to slow them down and it was better for them to stay in Metafalica and waited until the season of storm to end before catching up with him and Lord Angemon.

They had never seen their Lord like this, he was hysteric and desperate to return. Their Lord usually would have consider of his decision calmly, and Lord Angemon would have said something to calm his down. Perhaps… there was another reason? They thought as looking at their Lord who was sitting not faraway from them on a Rosetta stone with Lord Angemon sitting beside him.

* * *

"Takeru…" His partner had been too quiet. "What are you thinking? Your decision is pretty hasty but for you to be so worried… you must have some reason."

It took a while before Angemon got a respond out of his partner, "Bad feeling." His eyes were unseen as it was shadowed by his blond bangs. "I have a very bad feeling about this."

"…"

"I have a feeling that our friends… they are going to be called back to Digital World." Takeru muttered softly, "I… I don't want to not being there again…"

_'Hikari was so upset you're not there! She missed you as much as Yamato do! She… she… didn't cry but I know when no one is looking she will…'_

Tailmon had no mercy to drive the point home. She was right that he had been incredibly selfish back then and perhaps... or rather he had done the last thing he wanted to do to Hikari. He made her sad… and she had cried because he was not there for her.

Of course he also had his brother on top of it was not helping his conscience. He had messed up a big time and he vowed to apologize and make it up for them in any way possible. First thing of course, was returning back to mainland.

* * *

**As you can see... I have not touched ep 1 of Digimon 02, this is some sort of prologue to that tells you what happened in the last three years roughly. **

**If anyone notice 'the primitive part of digital world' in fact is digital Tamer's digital world ver, congrats! This is not exactly a cross over, but I do invent a very different digital world for this story! **

**Naw... I will get around to update another story of mine~**


	9. Chapter 8: My Hope, so close, yet so far

**********Since I have time to update, I did ^^  
Now... if only I have inspiration for Holy War or POAST...  
Sigh... no use wondering why I don't get inspired to write those.**

* * *

**********(¯ˆ·.¸Our Hope, s****o close, yet so far************¸.·ˆ¯)**

He sent his email to his friends, hopefully they made it in time. "There, I sent it… " He wondered what was that three lights, but for now he had something else in mind. "Where's Takeru?" He asked curiously. "Did you guys go separate ways?"

"He is not here." Tailmon answered curtly.

"What do you mean Takeru is not here?" Taichi exclaimed in shock.

Agumon fidgeted, "How do we explain this… well…"

"For a start, Takeru rarely stays with us." Tentomon interjected, "He is always travelling all over digital world, he could be missing for up to four and five months without news."

Taichi couldn't believe what he heard, he was under impression their digimon would go with Takeru. "And you let him?!"

Tailmon glared at Taichi, "Let him?! Do you have any idea what kind of person Takeru is? He is like a whirlwind! One moment he greeted you 'long time no see' and the moment you look away from him, he will be like 'Oh, I need to go somewhere now! See ya!' and ran off with Angemon for who knows where and how long!"

"Angemon?"

Tailmon growled, "He is reaching the point of power where he is able stay in his adult form like me! But that's not the point here!"

Taichi stammered, "Oh… right!"

Tentomon sighed sadly, "If Takeru is here, there's no way Digimon Kaizer could establish his tyranny here…"

"Heh?" Taichi yelped when suddenly Agumon who was sitting beside him rubbed his arm. "Agumon."

Agumon frowned, "It's not as hard as Takeru's."

Tailmon snorted, "Of course not, Takeru is constantly training and fighting by Angemon's side… and the closest I ever seen Taichi fighting with his fist was his brawling with Yamato years ago."

Taichi scoffed, "Excuse me! Wait." He paused, "He is travelling around the world and fighting directly against their enemies? What the hell was Takeru doing for the last three years?!"

They wished they could answer him, but unfortunately they had no idea either what Takeru and Angemon had been up to for the last three years.

**Adobe Forest **

"Achoo!" Takeru sneezed.

Angemon who was sitting in passenger seat of their jeep car frowned at Takeru, "Did you catch a cold?" He queried, "We are in tropical forest." Or rather in a smooth and nice asphalted road in the middle of tropical forest to be exact.

Takeru laughed softly, "In Japan, we believe it's because someone is talking about us."

The angel digimon snorted, "I don't believe in that kind of superstition."

"Hai hai~" Takeru chortled, "It's funny how an angel digimon is such a realist."

His partner shrugged, "Is it wrong?"

"No, but as Patamon you're more open minded." Takeru said, and then mischievously he added, "And cute."

Angemon snorted. "At any rate… Takeru."

"Hm?"

"I will really grateful if you slow down! I swear the speedo meter has spun twice!" Angemon pointed at the speedo meter.

Takeru laughed louder. "Oh come on! We're in the middle of nowhere and on a nice smooth road!"

"Milord!" Dinohyumon who was sitting on the backseat with Grizzlymon. "I really think we should just stop and fight them." He jerked his thumb towards the pack of Trentmon that was running towards their group. "Why we're running away?! We can handle them!"

Takeru snorted, "I don't want to waste my time."

"But milord!"

"Sometimes I wonder when one of these days we can convince hungry digimon that we're not tasty…" He wondered out loud as he sped up their car much to Angemon's dismay. "We're almost out of primitive area."

"Takeru! Slow down!" Angemon yelled in frustration.

"For a digimon with top speed in their flight maneuver, you're sure protesting a lot about speed Angemon." He rolled his eyes. "I miss the time when you're so cute and pudgy." He muttered as his fingers twitch and lost in memory of how nice his partner felt when he was a Patamon.

Angemon snapped, "Takeru! Eyes on the road! And don't let go of the steering wheel!"

Takeru just laughed, "I have everything in control!"

"That's it! Hand over the steering wheel!"

"No! You're driving as low as a Numemon, Angemon!"

"And safe!"

"We're just few hours away from our destination! We're almost out of Primitive Plane! If you drive, that will be days!" Takeru pointed out.

Grizzlymon moaned, "Milord, this is so not the time for you and Lord Angemon to argue! Eyes on the road!"

"Fine!" Takeru turned his eyes back to the road only to be greeted by a very familiar looking pink pillar of light. "Uh oh… A DATA STREAM!" He exclaimed in shock before he made a sharp U-turn to avoid the light pillar.

Dinohyumon groaned, "But! We're almost out of Primitive Plain! That thing is rarely spotted here!"

"Doesn't mean it's never here!" Grizzlymon snapped. "Milord, what should we do?!"

Takeru scowled under his breath, "Not get caught in it! We don't know where we will end up if we do!"

"It's coming straight at us!" Angemon informed them.

Takeru glanced at the Data Stream with trepidation, "It's a big one… we're really unlucky." He growled, they knew firsthand how hard it was to avoid that thing when it was coming straight at them. He also had a hard time driving the car in midst of Trentmon, the pack was so intent hunting them down and now was running side by side with them.

"If worse comes to worse, we won't make it!" He muttered as reached out for his helmet, tinkering with the mini computer installed on it. "Valdurmon!"

**"Yes, Lord Angemon… Valdurmon hear and obey." **An image of a woman in her twenties with harpy looking body appeared on his screen, it was Valdurmon's avatar.

"Did you keep our location on your radar?" He asked.

Valdurmon gave him a mental nod, **"Yes, Valdurmon always do." **

"Good! Did you spot a large Data Stream coming towards us?" Angemon queried.

**"Yes." **Valdurmon replied chirpily, as to her Data Stream was nothing to worry about as most of the time they just transported you to who knows where. **"But Valdurmon have no power to stop Data Stream, I can alter the location it transported you to however." **

"That's exactly what we need!" Angemon replied with a relieved sigh. "Start the calculation! Alter it so that Data Stream transported us to File Island!"

**"Roger, calculation start…" **There was a long pause before Valdurmon spoke again,** "How about the other one?" **

"The other one?" Angemon echoed in confusion. "Which other one you're talking about?"

Takeru paled when he looked to his left, "Another one!"

Dinohyumon and Grizzlymon yelped, hugging each other in shock. "Milord, eyes on the road!"

"Heh?" Takeru looked back to the front and greeted by unpleasant surprise in form of a Kiwimon innocently crossing the road in the wrong time and place. "Whoaaaa!" Takeru spun the steering wheel to avoid the frightened bird looking digimon, but the sharp turn made the car spun uncontrollably and Angemon of all digimon fell from the car. "Angemon!"

Angemon quickly open six wings he folded inside the car, suspending him in the air. "I am fine!" However before he could rush to catch up with Takeru the first Data Stream caught him. "Takeru!" He yelled his partner name as he was enveloped by the light.

Takeru and the other two digimon were also caught by Data Stream but the second one that came from their left. "Angemon!"

**Back in File Island **

Taichi was glad to see Hikari came to digital world, he didn't expect Daisuke tagging along though. Then again the younger boy always followed Hikari like a puppy. He was sorry for the boy that his sister was not interested, for the last three years the only boy in Hikari's mind was Takeru. Looking at how Hikari's garnet eye roaming their surrounding hopefully, and something inside Taichi was breaking. Not even an hour in digital world, Hikari was already looking for Takeru.

"Onii-chan?" Hikari looked at him with the same big, doe garnet eyes he couldn't refuse since they were kids as she asked the dreaded question. "Where is Takeru-kun?"

She had asked the same thing two years ago when they gave up their crests and she was crushed when she learned Takeru was not coming. And now… he was going to tell her the same thing Gennai told her back then.

"I am sorry…" Why he was sorry? It was not within his control, heck, it wasn't even Takeru's who wouldn't know Hikari would be here today. "He is not here…"

Hikari looked down, her lips trembled. "I see…"

"Who is this Takeru guy?" Daisuke asked curiously, he was not satisfied that he only got brief explanation of what digimon and digital world. He flinched when he saw the sad face Hikari made when he asked. "Hi… Hikari-chan?"

She wiped the small drop of tears on the corner of her eyes, "Takeru-kun is my friend… and he has been staying in digital world for three years."

"All alone?" Daisuke exclaimed in disbelief.

Taichi didn't know what to reply to that, "The only human yes, but he is always with his partner digimon so he is not really alone." He muttered hesitantly.

"Why?" Daisuke wondered out loud.

That was what Taichi wanted to know since forever, why indeed. In the end no one answered that question and Daisuke, as insensitive as he was; he could tell he'd better not pried about this Takeru guy. Whoever he was, he made Hikari-chan sad. That made Daisuke angry at the guy, even though he had not met this Takeru yet. However as sad as Hikari-chan was, throughout their walk inside the cave she kept asking her digimon what the guy was doing for the last three years.

Apparently this Takeru guy was the only one in the same age as Hikari-chan was back in their first adventure. Unlike HIkari-chan , Taichi-san and the rest of their group, this Takeru guy chose to stay in digital world for the last three years. He was also a nomad, never stayed still in the same place for long. According to Hikari-chan's digimon, Tailmon, Takeru never stayed longer than a month with other digimon aside from his partner before he ran off to who knows where and how long.

In short in spite of Taichi-san and Hikari-chan knew the guy pretty well three years ago, now he was pretty mysterious and distant. Which was understandable as three years was a very long time.

But still… Daisuke couldn't help but think when looking at how Hikari-chan's garnet eyes lighted up as her digimon indulged her more and more about Takeru in the last three years. _'Why do you look so happy about a guy who is not here for you at all?' _

**Somewhere Unknown **

Takeru was really annoyed right now the moment all he could see as far as eyes could look was night sky and silvery sand gleaming under the moonlight. "Aaah… this is really a bad luck."

Dinohyumon popped his head from what remained of their digi-car, "Well… we landed in sixth plane of Primitive world, Alma Toran… I guess we should count our blessing the data stream only blow us this far."

The blond groaned, "It's ONE MONTH distance from our destination!" He rubbed his throbbing cranium. "And Angemon is separated from us to boot."

"Milord?"

Takeru sighed wearily, it was not like he was always 24/7 with Angemon but for his digimon to be in enemy's territory without him was unsettling. He wanted to panic but he should not because it won't help anyone. "I will try to make contact with Valdurmon and Wisemon in Metafalica." He muttered, taking his laptop out of his backpack. "This place is just three days trip from where we left Metafalica, there's no way we can reach the main continent or File Island without transportation."

Until then hopefully his friend and Angemon would be alright, especially…

"Hikari-chan… I am so sorry." He blinked owlishly. "Erm… I am sorry for everyone too! And Onii-chan especially! Of course!"

Dinohyumon and Grizzlymon huddled in the corner, whispering. "Is our lord alright?"

"It's the stress, I tell you…" Grizzlymon muttered.

"I can hear you~" Takeru sang much to his subordinates' chagrin.

"We're sorry!"

Takeru sighed as he sent an email to Valdurmon and Wisemon to pick them up, it would take less than a day for Valdurmon to reach this place. This was really a wreck in his planned schedule, all because he was caught off guard by a Data Stream. He was getting too arrogant with his experience to let his guard down like that.

"If Angemon is here, he is going to reprimand me again." He mused.

Speaking of arrogance, the guy who called himself Digimon Kaizer was definitely someone with too much ego. How this person could be chosen, he had no idea. As far as he knew, all chosen children had one positive trait that made them stand out among other children.

"A human hunting digimon and then declare himself a king?" Takeru snorted, he was a king himself but he certainly did not declare himself as one but acknowledged by his subjects as one. "To me, he is one ridiculous king..."

**File Island **

Unknown to Takeru, miles away Hikari had the same thought and saying it out loud, "A human hunting digimon and declare himself as their king? It's ridiculous!" She exclaimed. Hikari and the rest of their group were completely oblivious of a dark ring hovering above them, watching their every move.

She thought he was ridiculous, she talked big but she didn't know how to play this game at all. Digital world was after all a big and fantastic game meant for chosen human like him. These kids were intruders, or rather opponents chosen to give his game some spice. It would be fair if he returned the favor and sent some fun their way.

**Real World**

Koushiro who was forgotten and left alone in real world was having a hard time when Miyako pestered him nonstop about digimon and digital world. Why this girl couldn't stay still and listen, or got a hint he was not comfortable answering her. And his mother said boys were oblivious.

**File Island **

Taichi and Hikari were in awe after they witnessed the birth of V-mon, and how the little blue digimon was bouncing with energy just a few seconds after his birth. Daisuke was just as dumbfounded and looking at his new partner as if V-mon was a new type of alien. Then again to Daisuke, all digimon at this point was no different from different kind of alien.

Thankfully the digimon remembered that he should explain some stuff to his new partner, "I have been waiting for you to move the digimental of courage!"

"Digimental what?"

Taichi rolled his eyes, still the old digimon's way of greeting their new partner. They knew some stuff but they couldn't explain it well, but it seemed V-mon had better understanding as he was already a child digimon. However before he could contemplate further about their new discovery a Monochromon made a dynamite entry toward the cave with making a new hole it didn't need.

"What's that?" Of course being the new guy in a new world Daisuke stupidly staring at the Monochromon, while Taichi and Hikari wisely chose to run instead of staring at the digimon.

Taichi quickly ran with Hikari towards the exit, yelling. "A digimon! Now run! That guy can burn you alive!"

Daisuke quickly found out that just like when they were in the same soccer club, Yagami Taichi-san was always right and when he told you to move, you had to move or else. Or in this case, run like hell instead of staring at the overgrown lizard.

If not for V-mon tackling him to the ground, he would be roasted alive by Monochromon. "Daisuke, watch out!"

"Hieeee!" And he broke his goggle, he really loved that goggle!

Not far from him, Tailmon did the same to Hikari but unfortunately in her haste Hikari sprained her ankle. Taichi didn't see his sister was hurt, and went to check Daisuke who almost received Monochromon's fire breath attack at point blank. V-mon was busy convincing Daisuke to shout digimental-up and the brunette was no cooperating. That was a huge mistake in his part, because suddenly the controlled digimon leapt pass them and went after injured Hikari.

"HIKARI!"

"Hikari-chan!" As his crush was in danger Daisuke didn't care how weird V-mon's instruction was. "Digimental-up!"

V-mon cheered as he felt power running through him and flame enveloped his body. "V-mon, armor-shinka! The burning courage! Flamedramon! "

The new armored digimon was about to tackle the Monochromon, but before he could the larger digimon was opening his mouth for another fire breath. "Damn it!" He won't make it in time.

"Watch out!"

A white blur snatched both HIkari and Tailmon off of the ground, and it almost received the fire attack point blank however because Flamedramon tackled the Monochromon only the tip of white wings were singed by the said attack.

Taichi recognized the white figure instantly, but he could do nothing but watch in horror as it used its body to shield Hikari and Tailmon from the attack and then crashed to the wood. "Angemon!"

Tailmon recognized this familiar smell, a mix of tea he was getting fond of for the last three years and old paper he was grueling to read in every library he visited. "Ugh…"

"You're alright?"

And she knew that gentle voice very well too. Her eyes fluttered open and she saw something white and cascading orange locks that tickled her face. "Mmh… you're late." She grumbled under her breath, burying her face on the crook of his neck.

"I am sorry…" He always said that whenever he returned, and yet he never get tired of telling her that again and again.

A groan reminded them that they were not alone. "Ange… mon…?" Hikari rubbed her eyes, and suddenly her eyes widened in shock. "What happen? Your body!"

In instant Tailmon pushed herself away from her comfy spot and looked at him observantly. He was mostly fine although his wings that usually pristine white was a little singed on the tips. However his body also looked unstable with the blurring and static lines. "Angemon!"

He shrugged, "I am fine… the short story, I didn't get here with the most gentle method of transportation. This is just a side effect… I will be fine although…" He trailed off as his body enveloped in a golden light. "I will dedigivolve…" Patamon muttered in sulky voice. "This is suck."

Tailmon snorted, "Hey, I kinda like this compact size."

Patamon groaned, "You're almost as bad as Takeru, he keep going about…"

BOOM!

They turned their attention towards the source of the loud noise, where Flamedramon had just given Monochromon a painful back flip. "A new digimon?"

Tailmon nodded, "Yeah… and he can evolve apparently, but we can't."

So the jamming signal Valdurmon sensed was not a mistake.

**"Fire Rocket!" **

Tailmon yelled, "Oi! Aim for the black ring!" Thankfully the flame digimon heard her and adjusted his aim and freed the Monochromon from its control.

Patamon eyed their new comrade skeptically. "He is pretty reckless." He couldn't help but commented.

Tailmon shrugged. "He has the same crest as Taichi and Agumon, what did you expect?" She muttered, recalling how Agumon and Taichi went along with Yamato and Agumon to solve their differences with fighting it out.

"You have a point." Patamon muttered and before he could fly away to get a closer look on Flamedramon, Tailmon grabbed him from behind and picked him up from the ground. "Err… Tailmon, what are you doing?"

"I am just grabbing you." She stated the obvious.

"Eeh… I can see that but why?" He queried.

"I don't want you to run off." She huffed, wasn't that obvious.

Patamon yelped, "I am not running off anywhere!" He was embarrassed to be put in this position and everyone was coming this way too.

Tailmon snorted, "I trust you with my life in battle, but I will never ever trust you again about not going anywhere, because you always DO!" She screamed to his ears.

"But… Tailmon, I am not going anywhere! Release me!" He pleaded.

"No! And if you answer me honestly, I will consider it." She made it sounded as if he ever lied to her. He had never! He kept secrets but he never lied to her! "Where is Takeru?" She hissed.

Hikari once again was looking around for Takeru and quickly turned her attention back to Patamon who undoubtedly knew where he was. "Takeru-kun… where is he?!" She asked hopefully.

Patamon froze, he had to explain this now?! In this position. "Err…"

Tailmon's grip on him tightened and he yelped in shock, it wasn't hurting him but it was really embarrassing. "Answer her, Pa-ta-mon…"

"Ugh… Hikari, first of all I want you to stay calm, don't panic, and listen to me until I finish." The last thing he wanted was Hikari freaking out about Takeru. The old HIkari was always a calm and serene girl, but in the first minute he met her again after three years Hikari was not the same composed little girl. She was fidgeting and anxious, undoubtedly because of Takeru.

"Yes! Just tell me! Please!"

Taichi was confused, Patamon acted so different from the old him but he didn't interrupt them. Daisuke and V-mon were even more confused but stayed behind Taichi, it felt like they were interrupting something private for some reason.

Patamon took a deep breath, "Takeru and I received the news about Digimon Kaizer so we rushed back here because we're worried."

Taichi released the breath he didn't know he was holding. He felt guilty but for a moment he almost thought Takeru was ignorant of them after three long years.

"However it's pretty far from here and the weather only make it possible for us to travel by land… Takeru and I were half a day from this place few hours ago but…" He trailed off somberly. "We're separated by a Data Stream."

Hikari gasped, "You're separated from Takeru, how could that happen?!" Patamon like any other digimon was protective of their partner and even thought they could be separated from their human friends as far as Hikari knew they never got separated from their partner.

"Data stream happened." He muttered, "It was a vast columns of energy which reach down from the sky into the Digital World and manipulate is digital matter, physical representations of acts performed on computers across the world. Should an individual be caught in a data stream, they will be swept up into it and transported elsewhere… I was able to manipulate the Data Stream to transport me to this place with tracing your digivice's signal but Takeru was caught by different Data Stream…"

Of course the explanation of what Data Stream was went over their head, but they got the part where it would transport you to who knows where if you got caught in it.

Hikari began to cry, "Then Takeru-kun is somewhere in digital world, all alone?! Without his partner?"

Patamon's eyes went wide at the sight of Hikari's tears. "He will be fine! And he is not alone!"

Hikari's sob stopped, "But…"

"A couple of digimon is tagging along with him!" Actually a couple of hundred back in Metafalica, but it would be one and a half headache to explain it and he would rather leave it to Takeru to explain the whole story later. "And Takeru certainly is not helpless without me! He is more than capable to take care of himself!"

Hikari hastily wiped her tears, "Really?"

"Really!" Patamon was getting desperate to stop her from crying again, it was bad for his heart. Takeru would never forgive himself if he knew he made Hikari cried. "Just believe in him!" There the ultimate keyword, believe in Takeru.

Hikari bobbed her head up and down. "Yes…"

"Takeru will try his best to get here as soon as possible so don't cry Hikari, please!"

"Uhm!" She nodded again, smiling brightly at the thought she just had to be more patient. She had been waiting to meet him again for three years, a little more time to meet him was fine. "I will wait."

Patamon was thoroughly relieved that Hikari was well and not in tears anymore. However his relieve didn't last long when Tailmon refused to let him go. "But I thought…"

"I will consider it." She repeated, "But in the end I decide to keep you like this for a loooooooooooong while."

"Wha… don't be ridiculous Tailmon!" Patamon squirmed, "Let me go!"

"No." She said firmly. "I let you go too many times to count and now I won't!"

Taichi and Agumon watched Tailmon squeezing the life out of Patamon and she refused to let go. What the heck happened to them for the last three years. Taichi always suspected Tailmon had a thing for Patamon since she requested only him to accompany her to fight Vamdemon three years ago, but he didn't expect this kind of development.

"Oi Agumon."

"Yeah?" Agumon replied monotonously. "If you're asking what's going on between Tailmon and Patamon… well, with his constant absence nothing yet." Agumon snorted, "However as you can see… Tailmon is getting frustrated with him, or so Biyomon and Palmon said." He didn't get girls, he was as clueless as Taichi was about girls. "When he was Angemon, he always could slip pass her easily, but as Patamon he couldn't so Tailmon is… eh, what's the term again?"

"Leap at the opportunity when he couldn't?" Taichi answered dryly. "Man… not to dig on her past or anything but she used to be in Vamdemon's rank and now the leftover of her sadism shows." He muttered under his breath, only loud enough for Agumon to hear.

"Tailmon!" Patamon choked out. "You… are suffocating me!"

"Hmph! That's just a ploy to get me to release you!" She protested and hugged him tighter.

Patamon groaned, "I give up! Just… just stop suffocating me, I can't breathe!"

* * *

**I really LOVE writing this chapter, more fun than the last~ I hope you like my Daisuke, I really loathe to write him as a jerk... well... Daisuke is definitely not my golden boy like Takeru is but I don't hate him.  
**

**As for Tailmon... ha ha ha she is a bit of a sadist here LOL and as said by Agumon, it's Pata's fault LOL **


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